


The Knight and her Gem

by idinathoreau



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Crystal Gems (Steven Universe), Connie Is Steven's Knight, Crystal Gems, Crystal Knights, F/F, F/M, Knights - Freeform, mostly follows canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-06-08 16:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 52,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6863521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idinathoreau/pseuds/idinathoreau
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In all of her life, there had been but one objective: protect Prince Steven, no matter the cost. But for Connie of the Maheshwaran tribe, this mission may have some unintended results. Steven Universe AU where Steven is heir to the Gems Kingdom and Connie is a peasant learning to be a knight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

There was nothing special about this place. It was like all the other spots on this planet. Quiet, old, organic. Crawling with life. But there was something in the air here. I could see it.

  
The trees were thick and hard, tangling into a canopy that blocked out most of the sunlight. The river was sluggish and clear, the sound of running water cutting into the otherwise relative silence.

The humans were unremarkable dwellers: soft forms who spent their days crouched by fires or laboring away in the trees for their daily sustenance. Their lives were short and nearly meaningless: wake up, eat, survive, die.

But the girl in front of me…she was going to change everything.

She was small and unsure, not quite old enough to have a path laid out for her yet. But there was something about her.

I could see it all around her frail organic form: a soft white haze, moving in flux with the winds, shifting and curling protectively around her as her life expanded out far into the future…

Exactly what I had been searching for.

“You…” Her head raised, large eyes gazing at me with fascination and awe. “What is your name?”


	2. In the Woods

The fire crackled and popped, jolting Connie out of her dazed state. Out of reflex, she jumped to her feet, her sword drawn, heart pounding as her eyes darted around. Empty woods. Dark trees. The large boulder that sat to the north of their tiny camp…Everything was calm, unthreatening.

  
_Stupid…lazy…could’ve cost him his life…don’t you want him to live?_

  
Connie of the Maheswaran tribe watched the landscape carefully, mentally berating herself all the way. She held her sword tightly, her free hand keeping her cloak free from the radius of her weapon. It took about three minutes before she settled back down, assured that her brief lapse in watchfulness hadn’t done any damage.  
She slowly sat at her post on the log, sliding her blade back into its sheath. Everything was quiet. And cold. She folded her arms tighter around her, wishing she had a blanket of some kind. As loose and comfy as her green tunic and cottony breeches were, they were built for combat, not surviving early spring in these woods. The night air had sharpened considerably in the past hour, cold stealing into her bones and shivering across her skin. Only the fire and her thin cloak kept her from freezing.

She slowly sat at her post on the log, sliding her blade back into its sheath. Everything was quiet. And cold. She folded her arms tighter around her, wishing she had a blanket of some kind. As loose and comfy as her green tunic and cottony breeches were, they were built for combat, not surviving early spring in these woods. The night air had sharpened considerably in the past hour, cold stealing into her bones and shivering across her skin. Only the fire and her thin cloak kept her from freezing.

Connie curled herself up tighter, wishing she’d had the foresight to wear her hooded cape for today. _For a first solo mission, this is pretty tough._

They hadn’t even allowed her a flint this time out. You would think that based on who she was protecting, they’d at least give her some survival gear. But no, it was scavenge for dinner, clean it with her sword, start a fire with sticks, and assemble a quick shelter to keep her charge safe. You can bet the Gem trainees didn’t have a mission like this one this early in their training. Nope, just the human.

“What are you still doing up?” She jumped again as a loud voice called from behind her, sword already half-drawn. Connie turned and was greeted with the sight of her charge rubbing his eyes and yawning.

Relaxing, she slid her sword away. “I have to stay up Prince Steven,” she replied respectfully, bowing slightly to him as she spoke. “To protect you. And please keep your voice down my Prince, we don’t want to be discovered.”

The heir to the throne blinked at her, confused. His black curls, tousled by his short bout of sleep, stuck out at odd angles from his head. A thick blanket was pulled tightly over his shoulders. “But we’re only a mile from the palace, and Pearl said some of the Guards would be keeping an eye on us the whole time…who would discover us?”

Connie sat back down, pulling her cloak back over her shoulders to ward off the chill. “That’s not the point of this exercise Prince Steven.” Connie replied, turning away from him to continue her surveillance. The spy could easily be hiding behind that boulder... “This is training for both of us.” Connie continued not pausing for a moment in her scanning. “I’m training to keep you safe and you’re learning how to travel through the woods.”

“I know.” The Prince replied, stepping closer to her and stretching his hands towards the fire. The dying light flickered against his hands and made his dark eyes shine. “It’s really cool out here. I’ve never had an open fire before. Pearl put up grates over our fireplaces ever since Amethyst convinced me to try to make torches out of my tunics for exploring the cellars.”

Connie was silent, keeping her eyes trained on the woods beyond, mostly ignoring the Prince’s tired ramblings. She was running through all the places where the Guards might be posted, watching them. She wished she knew if they were within earshot. A small sound had her turning her head but nothing greeted her. Her brow furrowed in irritation. They’d probably sent Beryl. She’d never be able to spot her in the dark.

Movement at the edge of her vision caught her attention and she stiffened, but it was just Prince Steven moving to stand next to her. The prince was looking at her curiously, his previous sleepiness gone. “What’s your name?” He asked her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Well, to someone at the top of society it probably was. “…Connie.” She replied after a second’s hesitation. “…of the Maheswaran tribe.”

He smiled at her, all of his teeth showing. “Hi Connie! My name’s Steven!”

Connie couldn’t help her small smile at his innocent introduction. “I know your name, my prince.” She reminded him with a slight bow of her head.

The boy was undeterred. “Yeah, but we’ve never officially met.” He stuck out his hand to her. Connie took it and raised it to her lips, pressing a respectful kiss to the back of it as she had been taught. Steven looked confused but shook her hand enthusiastically anyway. “I know about you though. Garnet says you’re the only human the Guards have ever taken on.”

Connie felt herself grimace reflexively and she dropped the Prince’s hand. “That’s correct.” She folded her arms tightly around herself again, shivering.

Steven nodded. “Right! Well, I’ve seen you around a lot…when you’re training with the others.” He quieted suddenly and rubbed the back of his neck. “I uhh…I’ve wanted tosay hi before but…you always seemed busy.”

“It takes a lot of work to become a knight of the Guard,” Connie replied, trying hard to focus on the landscape and not on how vulnerable that statement sounded coming from someone she’d been taught to revere. “Being a knight means being true to your cause, loyal to your liege, and disciplined in your training.” Those were the words of the Commander and she sought to live by them. All the Guards did.

Steven was silent for a long time and Connie almost felt bad. It was hardly his fault that her training was so difficult. He was just curious.

The prince sat on the log beside her, swinging his feet in contemplation. “Connie?” Steven began softly, as if he feared another completely professional response from her.

She turned her head slightly. “Yes, my prince?” She tried to make her voice gentler.

Prince Steven pulled his feet up onto the log, hugging his knees to his chest. “What made you want to be a knight?” He looked up at her, wide-eyed with wonder and amazement.

Her jaw clenched. “I’m not a knight.” _Not yet._

“I know, but why’d the Gems agree to train you when you’re a human?” He yawned widely. “Like me?”

She rested one hand on the borrowed sword at her waist. “I…don’t know.” Connie admitted. She had always dreamed of a life of adventure and danger but it had never been more than a dream until a year ago. “The Captain sought me out personally when the Guards visited my village on a routine training mission. She brought me back here and then after the Commander tested me, they decided I was worth training.”

Her elongated response seemed to hearten the prince. “So how’d you get assigned to protect me?” Steven asked, his head lifting slightly.

Connie watched the woods, picking out the shape of an owl among the high branches of a tree. She stared intently at it but it didn’t seem to be looking at them. “The Captain assigned me to you. She said it was imperative.”

Steven’s chin dropped to his knees. “Oh…” He pouted.

Connie turned to him fully, her vigil momentarily forgotten. “What is it?”

The prince seemed bashful. “it’s just…I thought maybe you picked me…” He played with the dirt with his foot.

“That’s not up to me Prince Steven.” Connie replied, adjusting her grip on her sheathed sword. “I’m merely a soldier here to protect you, even at the expense of my own life. The Commander and the Captain dictate where I go and what I do.”

The Prince’s face fell, making him the absolute picture of misery, he seemed to be sinking into himself. “…Right.” He whispered. Silence descended between them, broken only by the occasional pops and cracks as wood burned on the fire and the screeches of night birds in the woods around them.

Connie tried to keep her vigil but found that her attention kept wavering towards the boy next to her. The prince looked so small curled in on himself as he was. Prince Steven was barely twelve years old but he looked closer to ten. Short, round, and soft, there was nothing immediately about him that spoke of his title or his distinct place in Earth history. But he always carried himself with explosive character, a genuine heart that Connie had heard made even the Captain smile. There were stories that his mother had been similar. Of course, she had been the founder of Quartz Kingdom and a ferocious Gem warrior of ancient lineage. Those were enormous shoes for any Gem to fill, let alone a half-human Gem.

Steven sniffed and wiped his nose with a finger, watching the fire as if it held a clue to his future. Connie couldn’t help but feel drawn to the prince. She’d been trained since day one to revere him, to put his safety above everything else, even at the risk of her own life. Her commander’s voice was always in her ear and stalking her dreams, so much so that she’d forgotten what her own inner voice sounded like. It was always protect the prince or die for the prince. To see him like this was...jolting.

It was hard to grasp without seeing it up close like this but she couldn’t deny it. He wasn’t some mythical ruler like his mother had been, he was just a kid. A kid younger than she was and shouldered with more responsibility and expectation than she had weighing on her.

And yet in spite of all that, every time she saw him wandering around the palace, he seemed to be smiling.

She had a pretty good idea why.

“Do you want to be a knight, my prince?”

Steven looked up, surprised to hear Connie addressing him without being spoken to first. But instead of being miffed like most of the upper class would be, he seemed thrilled.

“I want to be able to help out on missions.” He began, one foot sliding back to the ground. “Pearl always says I can go once I learn to control my gem powers but…” He trailed off, his foot dragging in the dirt. “Yeah, I think it would be really cool to be a knight. A warrior, like my mom.”

Connie smiled, a plan forming in her mind. “Can I tell you a secret?” She whispered.

The Prince perked up immediately. He whispered back at a volume barely considered a stage whisper. “What? What?”

Connie leaned down, placing her lips near his ear. “Being a knight…” she paused, waiting until he began fidgeting with impatience and intrigue. She smirked. “...Is AWESOME.”

Steven giggled conspiratorially, as if they were sharing a secret in a room full of crowded people. A secret only they would ever know.

“We could be knights together!” Steven exclaimed, throwing his arms wide, his eyes shining with stars.

Caught up in his enthusiasm, Connie couldn’t bring herself to lie to his face and tell him that, with him being the prince and her being...her, they would probably never fight together.

But instead, she played along, if only to see him smile like that a little longer. Connie took his hand again but this time, she shook it as she might a comrade’s. “Very good then, my prince. Together we shall vanquish evil and protect the meek!” They shook firmly, their hands lingering in each other’s grips. Steven was trying very hard to look serious but the corners of his mouth kept turning up in a smile. A warm feeling started to glow deep in Connie’s chest as she looked at him. There was the smile he needed.

The smile that was so…him.

A soft pink light enveloped them, seeming to originate from the space between them. Connie glanced down and her eyes widened.

“Prince Steven…”

His stomach was glowing right at belly button level. “Huh?” He didn’t seem to feel any different but he followed her gaze. His eyes doubled in size. Steven pulled up his shirt to reveal the Rose Quartz Gem: all that remained of the fearless Queen Rose.

“My gem is glowing!” He exclaimed, overjoyed. “It’s…never done this before…” He turned to her, frightened and suddenly seeming smaller. “Connie, what do I do?”

Connie was still holding his hand, staring at his glowing gem. “I…I…”

Steven was panicking now. He squeezed her arm tightly, drawing her even closer. “The Gems said they’d be here when this happened, what do I do?” He was sweating and shaking, looking like he wanted to both throw up and faint. Even watching him was making her feel an empathetic discomfort. But she had no idea what to do. Any of the other trainees would have had something to tell him. But she was the only one without a gem. The only one who would be useless in this situation.

The prince whimpered and Connie reacted instinctively. “Steven!” She grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him slightly. “Relax, breathe!”

He didn’t respond, his face growing redder and his gem only glowing brighter. Connie briefly considered smacking him but she knew that would probably only make it worse.

She gently grasped his chin and turned his face to hers. “Look at me.” She commanded him softly. He met her eyes and she saw his fear, his uncertainty like reflections of her own inner demons.

Memories of her mother came to mind. “Deep breath,” she told him. “With me.” She inhaled long and deep, pulling the air deep into her stomach and chest. She held it for several seconds, then slowly released it again.

The prince just stared at her. Connie gripped him a little tighter. “With me, Steven.” He copied her this time, drawing a shuddering breath that Connie felt as he trembled.

They exhaled together, the expelled air twisting and mingling between their bodies. Steven visibly relaxed in Connie’s grip, practically sagging with the release of tension from his small body. The soft pink light faded slightly as they inhaled again but glowed all the brighter as they exhaled, like an ember slowly becoming a flame.

Connie could feel the soft light in the darkness enveloping her, wrapping around her like a cloud, pulling her closer to the prince. The light from the fire seemed dim compared to the gentle glow of the Prince’s gem. His light was all at once warm and calm, like sitting in a cloud that smelled of roses and potential.

Steven closed his eyes but still breathed along with her. _Inhale deep into the belly….hold…exhale slowly…_

Connie felt her eyelids begin to droop, her thoughts fading into the light and the rhythm of the ritual. Her and Steven inhaled simultaneously, exhaling deeply several seconds later. _This is helping._ Connie thought and the Prince smiled softly in response, his features as serene as she felt.

It was like they shared a consciousness, breathing as one, their minds coming closer together as the light sunk into their form…

The fire popped loudly, jolting Connie out of the meditative trance. She released him as if he were burning her and backed away, the feeling of drifting into his mind peeling away from her slowly. Steven flinched as she ceased the breathing technique and opened his eyes.

“Connie..?”

She was silent, determined to look anywhere but at him. She blinked hard, remembering who she was, her memories of home, her purpose here: guide, protect, die if necessary.

The gem glow slowly faded, leaving behind nothing but the imprint of its brief light on their eyes.

“What? No…no!” Steven grabbed at his stomach, shaking it up and down as if he could jostle the light back into being. But his gem had gone dark, refusing to so much as sparkle. The prince sagged off of the log, collapsing in the dirt next to the fire. He lay sprawled like that for a few seconds before slowly rolling onto his side and sitting up to lean against the log.

“I…I’m sorry I freaked out like that.” Steven apologized, not looking at Connie. “I just…the Gems have been waiting for my gem to show any signs of magic and…and I blew it the first time.” Connie felt her eyes twitch, just slightly at the hint of tears in his voice. “I was really hoping I would summon my weapon this time…”

She glanced back at him, her heart clenching when she saw him sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest again. “You’re probably just tired my prince.” Connie replied, trying to sound gentle. Her fingers twitched but she made no move towards him or her weapon. “You really should get some rest. We must be off at dawn.”

Steven glanced up at her as settled determinedly back into her vigil. But he said nothing and after a few seconds, he stood and walked back towards his shelter.

Connie rubbed her arms, the warmth from Steven’s gem glow fading from her rapidly. Even though it was barely any help, she pulled her cloak tight about her again.

Hopefully she wouldn’t freeze before dawn. Or fall asleep.

A thick blanket fell over her shoulders, warming her instantly. She turned to see the prince offering her one of those enormous smiles, standing behind her. “Go back to sleep, my prince.” She told him, even as she burrowed instinctively into the blanket. The prince only walked around the log again to stand before her. “We must rise early to return to the Castle.” Connie reminded him.

Steven just blinked at her. “But you’re not sleeping at all.” He pointed out.

“Because I have to protect you.” She returned, smirking at his concern for her.

“You might get lonely.” He replied, plopping himself down next to her. He didn’t seem to be bothered by the cold at all. “I’ll keep you company.”

Connie couldn’t bite back a smile and wriggled deeper inside the blanket. “That’s really nice of you Prince Steven, but it’s not necessary…”

He would not be dissuaded. Nevertheless, several minutes later found him fast asleep against her shoulder, snoring softly as he dozed.

And even though he was impeding her ability to draw her weapon, Connie found she didn’t mind at all.


	3. A human among Gems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anyone starts complaining about details in this chapter, let me remind you that this is an AU. I am keeping many aspects from the show, as well as several plot threads, and as many characters as I can juggle. But some things will differ greatly. For example, some characters may not start out or end up the same way they do on the show. They are not OOC, I just have different arcs planned for them than those established in the show. The lore and revelations may seem plausible until the next bomb when they are all proven wrong by the Crewniverse. My lore may differ greatly than the outcome on Steven Universe but it works for this AU. This Earth was not formed in similar circumstances to the Earth in the show. Hence, the medevialish-era setting.
> 
> Please take these things into consideration when leaving comments. I love constructive criticism but I cannot tolerate people who nitpick because of the changes I made from the show's canon for this AU.
> 
> That being said: thank you so much for comments on chapter one! Sorry this one took so long, my writing-excessively-long-chapters syndrome has been early-onset for this fic…

The dawn burned bright and cold, making Connie sneeze as she gently unfolded herself from the warm lump of the prince pressed against her. But her heart glowed with pride. She'd made it through the night. She'd passed this portion. Not a wink of sleep.

Prince Steven on the other hand, had slept like a rock. Connie glanced down at him as he snoozed peacefully against her side. A smile pulled at her face. Even out cold like this, he still seemed so…genuine.

"Prince Steven? Prince Steven." She gently shook him. Steven groaned and cracked open one bleary eye. "Is it morning?" He asked groggily. He yawned hugely but seemed to remember something mid-yawn and snapped to full wakefulness. "Oh no! It's morning! I fell asleep, didn't I?"

Connie blinked, a little confused by his instantaneous change in energy levels so soon after waking up. "It's quite alright Prince…"

Her reassurance fell on deaf ears, the Prince was shaking his head sadly. "I left you alone all night! I'm so sorry."

"This is my job, my Prince…" Connie assured him.

The prince still seemed disheartened at his good night's sleep. "Yeah, but weren't you lonely all night?"

Connie shrugged. "not really." She stood, pulling her cloak around her and offering the prince a hand. "Come, we must be off if we are to make it back to the palace in time for breakfast."

Steven smiled. "I hope there's sweet cakes this time." He gently placed a hand in hers and Connie helped him to his feet.

The night still clung to the skies, painting them a deep indigo blue but streaks of the rising sun cut across the horizon, chasing the black away. Even with all this time before the day really began, Connie was eager to return to the palace. Maybe she'd be able to squeeze a nap in before morning drills began.

She knew it was improper to ask the Prince to do chores for her but if he were as eager as he had been last night, she didn't see the harm… Connie turned to her charge. "Prince Steven…can you…?" Her request was cut short however, by a high-pitched whistling noise from overhead.

Both of them looked up, surprised to see a new source of light brightening the sky. A burning white thing was streaking past overhead, leaving a small trail of pure white fire to burn out behind it.

Both Connie and Steven gasped loudly, nearly in unison.

It looked like a shooting star but brighter. Closer to Earth. They watched as it crossed the length of the sky, vanishing from view far to the north.

Steven's mouth hung open. "Whoa! What was that?"

Connie squinted, trying to catch another glimpse, but the light was long gone, its trail rapidly fading as the sun rose higher. "No idea…"

They were silent for a moment, both of them staring in the direction the light had gone as if it could still reveal more secrets. A mournful breeze stole through their clearing, as if displaced by the celestial projectile overhead. As the horizon brightened and the warmth of the light began to seep into her skin, Connie turned away.

"Come on, let's pack up. We must get back to the palace." Steven nodded and with a final glance at the sky, set to work.

There wasn't terribly much to gather. The only thing they had really been allowed was the blanket they had both spent the night wrapped in. Connie rolled it up and skillfully dowsed the ashes of their fire while Steven busied himself by taking apart the shelter Connie had constructed for him. Using a small bit of rope, Connie secured the blanket across her back for the trip. Checking the position of the sun, she deduced which way was south and they set off for the short trek back to the palace.

The path wasn't clearly defined, but Connie had no problem following the gaps between the trees back in the direction of the Palace. Steven skipped along behind her, trusting her entirely to lead the way. He chatted amicably the whole time, not minding that Connie was content to mostly just let him ramble on as they picked their way through the trees. He spoke to her about his father, King Reagent Gregory and of the lessons he had with the other Gems in the palace.

"Pearl teaches me a lot of history, mostly about the founding of the Quartz Kingdom and things my mom used to do. Aquamarine though, likes to take me down to the river and explain what all the different rocks and minerals are. She can create some of them with her Vitreous and break them open pretty easily…"

Connie nodded absentmindedly, checking the trees up ahead for signs of wandering creatures or Gems. Assured that nothing was about to leap out at them, she glanced up to check their position relative to the rising sun. They were still heading south. Good.

Connie suddenly realized Steven was quiet and blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"I ask if you knew why more humans don't visit the Palace. It's open to everyone." He smiled brightly. "You could visit me there if you want."

"Most humans aren't allowed." Connie replied, shifting her bundle. "Your palace is meant for you and the Gems that advise you."

"Yeah, but some humans advised my mom too." Steven pointed out, jumping up on a felled log and balancing carefully on it as he walked alongside her. "Like my dad, before he was my dad. Why cant more do that?"

"Humans aren't as reliable as Gems. We don't live nearly as long, or have comparable magic." Connie reached out to steady the Prince as he wobbled and waved his arms to keep balance. "Plus, not many humans are comfortable with being constantly reminded of that."

Steven jumped down from the log, stumbling a bit on the forest floor. "But we share this planet, we're all Earthlings. Shouldn't more humans be involved in how we rule it?" He asked her, once he had regained his footing.

Connie really wanted to focus all her attention towards keeping an eye out for danger. But she could not refuse to answer a request from her liege. "But we're not the same. Queen Rose may have been kind to the humans but she could not make them feel that they stood on equal ground. The Gems have been trying to unite our races for a long time."

Steven cocked his head at her, confused. "But I thought the relations between humans and Gems have always been good. That's what Pearl tells me, at least."

"It's…complicated." Connie admitted, not feeling up to explaining the decades of unrest and inequality between the two races of their world this early in the morning.

They continued on for a stretch, Steven concentrating on scampering through as many dead leaves as he could and Connie trying her hardest to stay alert to her surroundings while also keeping a close eye on the prince.

"I wonder what that strange light in the sky was." Steven voiced as the woods began to thin around them.

Connie nodded in agreement. "The Captain might know. Or the palace library would probably have records on things like that."

Steven nodded determinedly. "Well then, that's where we'll have to go!"

Connie stopped dead, raising an eyebrow. "We?"

"Yes! Aren't you curious too?" The Prince asked.

"Of course I am! But…" She bit her lip. "I'd need to ask the Commander for permission before using the Royal Library…"

"Well…" Steven glanced back at her, his lips pursed in thought. "You could just ask me. It is my library after all…"

Connie itched to take him at his word. She hadn't had a new book in her hands since leaving home…

"I'd still need the Commander's permission…" Connie deflected, hating her mouth for denying her this chance to see the Royal Library. All those ancient texts by the greatest of Gem scholars…

Steven waved his hands enthusiastically. "You don't have too! It could be our secret!"

"I…" Connie took a deep breath and steadied herself. "I will think about it my Prince."

The prince's smile deflated slightly and he slowly fell back to walk by her side and eventually drifted behind her slightly. Connie slowed her pace to match his, although she kept an eye on the rising sun with growing anxiousness.

After several minutes of complete silence from the prince, she risked a glance back at him. Steven was gently poking at his stomach, just above the place where his gem sat as he walked, frowning.

Connie said nothing but she kept a closer eye on him as they continued through the woods.

Their short trek left them standing at the portcullis to the home of Prince Steven Quartz and the Crystal Gems: the Pink Palace. It was an enormous construction of pink stone turrets surrounded by a small town and encased in a thick, pink marble wall. The gatekeeper, nicknamed Mr. Smiley by the locals, blinked sleepily at them before ducking his head back inside his station and activating the gate. The portcullis vanished and Connie and the Prince stepped into the grounds of the castle. Mr. Smiley waved tiredly at them, the gate reappearing after they passed.

Even this early in the morning, the grounds of Castle City were abuzz with humans. Merchants were setting up shop for the day: bakers placing out fresh breads, tea carts rattling down the cobblestones, tailors, and blacksmiths, and cobblers all opening their shops and beginning a new day. People shouted and bustled about, occasional flashes of magic glowing in the early morning sun. A member of the Rose Quartz Guard, Blue Topaz, patrolled the market chaos with an air of superiority, casually swinging her baton. When she saw Connie, she sneered, the expression highlighting the dark blue streak across her nose that ended all the way down her body in the gem at her chest. Connie ignored her glare but made a point to lead Steven as far from the Guard as possible.

Normally, Connie was very taken by the display of the markets opening in the early morning. They always seemed to go on forever, with more and more people and Gems arriving in Castle City at the start of each day to add their own personal wares to the fair. But right now all she could think about was completing her mission. Steven had to be back within the Palace before her job was really done. With her luck, the Commander had sent a fake 'assassin' to make the last stage of her mission all the harder. She kept one hand on her sword and made sure her eyes were constantly checking the corners and shadows as Steven skipped along beside her. She kept an eye on Blue Topaz as well as the large Gem broke up a scuffle that had started near the basket-weavers.

Connie and Steven crossed the square, passed down a residential street and across a small moat before they reached the grounds of the castle proper. Connie shivered as she stepped through the magical protection ringing the divide.

Steven giggled, his whole form shaking. "That always makes me feel weird!" He said, his voice vibrating.

Connie said nothing, she was looking around at the place that had become her home.

All of the Rose Quartz guards and Trainees lived in the Crystal Temple grounds, the large ring directly surrounding the Pink Palace. The space consisted of a sprawling abode of training areas, barracks, lecture rooms, and stables, all of them evenly spaced about the 1000 foot wide ring of magically-enhanced space that kept the Palace separate from Castle City. It was the buffer between the human world and the world of Gem royalty.

The Palace itself was always impressive. Creamy pink turrets sliced the sky, fortified by large grand walls and spires. The palace was small compared to the ring of the city but by no means modest. Connie had studied both its defenses and interior features as part of her training. And she knew there were still parts of the Palace she would never see, even if she made it in as a Guard.

The Temple Statue loomed over this all, its ancient crumbling limbs protruding from the mountain and its four eyes all staring listlessly out over the forest and the distant ocean. This early in the morning, the shadow of the leftmost arm split the courtyard down the center, extending over the town and beyond. Connie led Steven back into the sunlight, making her way towards the second magic barrier that guarded the doorway of the Pink Palace. One hand on the Prince's shoulder, Connie kept her eyes roaming for possible "assassins". Couldn't be too careful where the Commander was concerned. None of the Guard or trainees were wandering around at this time. Training didn't begin for another hour.

Connie nudged Steven forward. "Come on. Let's get inside."

He nodded and began to take long, exaggerated steps towards the main doors. Connie half-heartedly rolled her eyes and followed him, keeping her eyes moving.

As they walked, a shadow fell over them, as if the arm of the Temple's Guardian were moving to cover them. The children both froze, Connie's hand reaching for her weapon.

"Good morning." The voice was cool and calm, almost emotionless. Connie forced herself to look up, relaxing her grip on her sword. Her own face stared back at her from a perfectly polished pair of shades. It appeared that the Captain was returning from her own early-morning mission as well.

"Garnet!" Steven cried. Absolutely delighted, he dashed from Connie's side towards the six-foot tall Captain of the Rose Quartz Guards. He collided with one of the Captain's massive legs, squeezing it tightly. The Captain barely reacted. Dressed in form-fitting crimson battle armor and known for using only her fists in battle, the Captain was not someone to be messed with. Her iconic metal-studded gauntlets were polished to a fine shine but so dented that they spoke of her impressive battle history. Most gem trainees froze solid whenever she was around and prayed she would not be joining partner battles on the given day. Captain Garnet always wore thick shades over her face, making her eyes and most of her expressions impossible to discern. And as for fighting her or arguing against her decisions, you had a better chance facing the palace wall.

Connie was amazed to see the stoic Captain crack an enormous smile as Steven collided with her. So the stories were true it seemed…

"Hello Prince Steven." She greeted him, lifting her leg up so that he dangled off of it, his legs swinging. "Did you enjoy your night in the woods?"

Steven nodded enthusiastically. "Connie and I had a great time!"

Connie felt the Captain's gaze shift to her under the shades. She stiffened reflexively. Something about the Captain always made her feel like she was being scanned at her deepest level. Then again, as a human, it wasn't surprising that she was under such scrutiny.

"Trainee Connie." Garnet acknowledged her. Connie relaxed but only slightly. The Gem adjusted her shades slightly, as if she were looking at something far away. "The Commander will want you to see her immediately." The Captain continued, placing her leg (and Steven) back on the ground.

Connie bit her lip to stop the groan building in her throat. There went any hope of a morning nap. She probably wasn't going to get a chance to change clothes or eat anything at this rate either. But when the Commander summoned, one did not wait. She nodded respectfully. "Yes Captain."

"You may take the barracks warp pad to her office with your report." Garnet informed her, Steven looked up at the Gem questioningly.

Connie forced herself to stand straight and salute crisply. "At once, Captain." She did an about-face and walked towards the long barracks building, keeping her back as straight as it would go and her steps even.

But even though she knew she was being watched, she couldn't help her curiosity. She glanced over her shoulder and wasn't entirely surprised to catch the Prince's eye. Steven smiled at her and waved with his free hand as Garnet led him towards the Palace. A smile pulling at her lips, Connie waved back.  
***  
Connie pushed open the door to the barracks, her shoulders slumping slightly in relief as the sounds of home washed over her.

Only to immediately tense up again when an enormous bear roared at her from the entryway.

Her training kicked in and her sword was already halfway drawn before the bear began to laugh, clutching its sides and snorting.

Connie berated herself for her knee-jerk reaction. _Dammit!_ She thought, angrily shoving her sword back into its sheath. _I'm never going to hear the end of this…_

"Ahhhaaaahhhahaha! I GOT you!" The bear chuckled, light engulfing it before it shrunk and shifted into the form of a small squat purple Gem. Said Gem grinned cockily at her. "I finally got you, human!"

Connie closed her eyes for a moment, her tired head swimming and gathered herself before answering. "Bears are a real threat where I come from, Amethyst. If I hadn't reacted that quickly and you had been a real bear, I'd be dead." She stepped around the Gem and made her way into the barracks proper. The weapons hall was empty at this time but she could hear the other trainees in the room beyond, talking and warming up for the day. There was a loud crash from the other room, followed by the distinct sound of Turquoise swearing. It seemed that Cymophane and her twin were at it first thing today…

"Awww, come on human." Amethyst teased, checking Connie roughly with her shoulder as she slid past. "Just be happy I finally scared you. Now you wont have to expect sneak attacks so often!" The Gem jogged along beside Connie as she walked, her long platinum hair bouncing.

"Living with you means I'm always expecting a sneak attack…" Connie muttered, more to herself than to the Guard.

"You've been spending too much time with the Commander." Amethyst said disapprovingly. "Lighten up! How'd your solo mission go?"

"Fine." Connie replied, her voice short and clipped as she made her way to the warp pad across the weapons hall. Amethyst followed her like a shadow, her arms thrown behind her head. She and Amethyst had never entirely gotten along. It had all begun her first day when the purple Gem had pranked her by turning herself into a giant boulder and chasing her around the courtyard. Not having spent a lot of time around Gems in her village, Connie had been understandably terrified. Amethyst claimed it had all been good fun but Connie knew better. Everything was a test here. Everyone expected her to fail. And such a prank had done nothing but convince the others she was easily scared away.

"Awww, come on human." Amethyst apparently wasn't willing to give up a chance to milk info from her. "What happened, did Steven get a splinter or something?"

Connie didn't answer, lengthening her stride to try to reach the warp pad at the end of the weapons hall. Light engulfed Amethyst again and she effortlessly shape-shifted herself into a large wall blocking Connie's path.

"Come on, human." The Amethyst-wall said through its mouth. "I'm just tryin' to be friendly."

"Please move Amethyst." Connie said, exasperated. "I need to go see the Commander immediately."

"Make me move, human." Amethyst taunted, a smirk curling up the wall's mouth.

Connie backed up, her body already protesting what she planned to do. Crouching low, she ran right at Amethyst, charging with all her might. Amethyst grinned at her and shifted part of her form into a hand that egged Connie on. This is what Connie had been counting on. Seconds before she slammed into Amethyst's form, she vaulted into the air, using the proffered hand as a ledge to push herself further than her legs could carry her. She managed to reach high enough to grip the ledge and willed her tired muscles to pull her up and over. Before she could however, the ledge under her fingers vanished, replaced by light that slipped right through her fingers.

"Fine." Amethyst said coolly as she took her normal form and Connie fell six feet to land flat on her face. "If you wont fight me or talk to me, you're no fun."

Connie rose to her hands and knees, her eyes and nose smarting from her fall. "I'm not here for fun, Amethyst, I'm here to train."

"Fighting is still training." Amethyst pointed out, folding her hands behind her head again. "You know, everyone's still betting that you'll quit. How are you ever going to finish training without a Vitreous in that organic form of yours?"

Connie gritted her teeth. Amethyst would bring that up. They always did, to remind her of her place. As a human, Connie would be lucky to possess as much magical capability as a Gem like Amethyst had in her left pinky's fingernail. While Amethyst's Vitreous was powerful and seemingly limitless, Connie would be considered a few and far-between human if hers ever even manifested. While more than half of the other Gem recruits had already discovered and honed their Vitreous, Connie knew she was likely to never have that opportunity.

"I'll make do with what I have." Connie snapped back, rising to her feet. She didn't look back at Amethyst as she stepped onto the warp pad and transported to the Commander's office.

  
***

Traveling through warp space, no matter how short the trip, always managed to lift Connie's mood. The experience was always breathtaking — feeling your form disintegrate into light and travel faster than sound to a new destination. It was refreshing in a way, like clearing out an old closet full of heavy dusty things and immediately feeling lighter.

The ten-second trip to the Commander's office left Connie feeling a little better from her conversation with Amethyst but it was no substitute for the hot bath and nap she really wanted right now.

The warp dumped her about two feet above the pad and she stumbled slightly as her feet slammed back to the ground. She really needed to figure out why that only happened to her.

Connie stepped down from the warp pad and stood respectfully before the Commander's desk. Her officer's back was to her as she worked on the enormous screen that dominated the wall behind her desk. Symbols and figures that Connie was only beginning to learn to interpret were whizzing along the surface faster than striders over water. It hurt her eyes to look for too long.

"Commander," Connie began, giving a half-bow to her superior. "the Captain said you wished to see me?"

Pearl, Commander and Matriarch of the Pink Palace paused momentarily in her work and Connie could imagine the slight wrinkling of her brow that always accompanied her irritated expression at being interrupted. "Yes, I do. Welcome back, trainee." The Commander didn't even look around at her as she addressed her. "Your mission went well." She commented over her shoulder as she read a report on her screen. "But he looks a bit tired."

Connie doubted the Commander had even laid eyes on Prince Steven yet and was merely basing her assessment on what her spy had seen during the night. Tilting her head slightly, Connie caught sight of the corner of the report, signed with Beryl's distinctive mark and gritted her teeth. _So it had been her…_

"He woke up part-way through the night." Connie replied, folding her hands crisply behind her back and forcing herself not to sound as tired as she was. "I tried to talk him back to sleep but he then insisted on staying awake to keep me company."

Commander Pearl paused, shooting a suspicious glance over her shoulder. "Nothing else to report?" She asked tersely.

Connie hesitated, the activation of the prince's gem and the strange light in the sky on her mind. "Well…"

Pearl picked up on her indecision immediately. The Commander whirled to face her, rising threateningly out of her chair. "What, trainee? Need I remind you of your oath?"

Connie shrank back slightly, even though the Gem before her was barely 5 feet tall and slender. But anyone not afraid of Commander Pearl only wished for sweet death. Pearl had mastered nearly every fighting style known to Gemkind and her impressive arsenal of weapons she summoned was enough to take on an entire army. Connie vividly remembered how orientation had begun: with Pearl effortlessly taking down each new recruit (herself included) with a long slender spear. She still had the scar from that first fight.

Connie struggled to keep her voice level as she replied. "There was…as we started talking…his gem began to glow."

Pearl was at her side in an instant, making Connie flinch noticeably.

"Already? No, it's too soon…" The Commander walked around her to where a long pink scabbard was mounted on the wall. Pearl stared at it in contemplation for a long time.

"Did he summon a weapon?"

Connie shook her head.

"Did he cause any objects to move? Plants to grow? Set anything ablaze?"

Connie shook her head again. "No. It just…glowed and…" She fumbled for a way to describe the light that had spilled from it, the feeling that she needed to get closer to him, to be at his side. Maybe it would be best to leave that part out… "…and kind of fizzled out after a bit." That, at least, wasn't a lie.

Pearl's shoulders slumped slightly. "That's it?" She asked, sounding as tired as Connie felt.

"Yes Commander." Connie replied. "He started to panic and it seemed like that made the light fade."

The Commander straightened up, now looking at Connie curiously. "What caused it to start glowing?"

Connie could not refuse to answer her Commander. "He…he was happy." She admitted.

Pearl's eyes widened comically. "What?" As if the concept of Steven's happiness was unimaginable to her. "What were you two talking about?" She asked, somehow sounding both interested and confrontational.

"He…we were discussing being knights together." She didn't have to say anything else.

"Trainee Connie." Commander Pearl said, walking back behind her desk. "Prince Steven will not be a knight. He will be a commander and for that, he needs an army. You are not his friend, you are a piece of his protection. And perhaps someday, a foot soldier in his army."

"Yes ma'm." Connie replied, bowing her head humbly.

Pearl nodded approvingly, or at least dismissively. "Now come, we have work to do." The Commander stepped out from behind the desk and walked towards the warp pad.

Connie had to actually bite the inside of her cheek to stop a groan from escaping her. This sounded like another one of the Commander's spontaneous solo training days. She was always randomly pulling Connie aside for this.

Connie closed her eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. She was dirty, hungry, and utterly exhausted from her mission. But when Pearl said she had to train, then train she must. She was a human. To even be here was a privilege. She had to earn her keep. She forced her tired legs to run after Pearl so that she caught up to her just before they reached the warp pad. Pearl nodded to her, activating the warp with a mere thought, sending them shooting through warp space together.

They arrived inside of the combat arena that floated miles above the Palace seconds later. Pearl stepped off of the warp pad, Connie picking herself up and following diligently as they descended the hundred steps into the chasm of the training space. The floors were a smooth, polished pink marble, broken only by rearing columns of white that stretched into the clouds. Statutes at the base of each pillar depicted different ancient Gem warriors in various battle-proud poses. Connie's gaze was drawn to one holding a staff calmly under her cupped hands. That one had always been her favorite.

As Pearl moved to the middle of the training ground, Connie knelt on the stones, tucking her feet behind her and laying her slightly curved cutlass blade across her thighs. Her eyes fluttered but she would not succumb to sleep. Not while training with the Commander.

In the center of the arena, Pearl had begun her dance. She balanced effortlessly on her toes, spinning and leaping with the kind of strength and precision Connie could only dream of ever possessing. After several seconds, the large oval gem on Pearl's forehead began to glow, emitting faint ribbons of magic that sparked and fluttered in the air like lightning. Connie watched hungrily.

Pearl's Vitreous was Connie's personal favorite of the Gems she knew. Pearl could create a projection of almost anything in her mind, including hologram clones of herself that she often used in training exercises. As Pearl completed her dance, four hologram copies took shape around her, all of them with glowing red eyes. The holo-Pearls filed past a weapons rack and each picked out a different weapon: one a long spear, another a broadsword, another a staff and the last one a sabre.

"Are you prepared, Trainee?" Pearl asked as the last of the holo-Pearls picked up its weapon.

Connie rose, her sword held tightly in her fist. "I am ready Commander." She may be tired, but she could still fight.

Pearl nodded and held out her arms. "Begin."

Connie was already moving. The holo-Pearls were just as deadly as their creator, only Pearl could adjust their skill level with a mere mental command. And she certainly wasn't holding back today.

The hologram with the spear struck the very spot where she had been standing less than a second after Connie moved. The girl pivoted, meaning to strike the clone across the back but her blade met the quickly-rearranged spear. Before she could even readjust, a broadsword was coming at her head and she rolled clear of her opponents.

Setting her feet carefully, Connie dashed forward, parrying thrusts from both the staff-wielder and the sabre-carrier. She ducked under a swipe from the hologram with the spear and let her momentum carry her into a slide across the marble.

Her right knee smarted as she stood again but she had to ignore it. They were circling her.

The broadsword came heaving towards her but she guided the target off-course with a back-handed block. Kicking out her leg, the hologram fell flat on its face. She barely had time to stab it in the throat before a sabre was coming at her. It was followed quickly by a slice from a spear and a jab from a staff that came just a little too close to her knee.

Yelling violently, Connie parried strike after strike, keeping the holograms back but making no progress towards defeating more of them. With a wide overhead sweep, she sent the three remaining holograms flying back from her.

Connie paused, breathing heavily and leaning slightly on her sword.

Commander Pearl's voice spoke through the hologram closest to her, distorted slightly and faintly tinny. "What are you?" It jumped towards her, raising its staff above its head, looming for a strike to finish the fight.

Focusing her breath and quieting her mind, Connie pivoted around the attack from the hologram's staff. Her blade whistled through the air, cutting through the hologram training dummy from behind.

"I am a soldier." She replied, her voice hard and sharp. The dummy exploded into nothing, its weapon clattering to the floor.

Pearl nodded. "What is your purpose?" She barked from across the training area. The remaining holograms charged Connie, doubling down on their assault without their brethren to back them up.

Connie pivoted on the balls of her feet, parrying the attack from one clone and leaning back to avoid the swing from the other. "Protect the prince." She replied, her blade flashing.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Commander smirk in satisfaction. "Why must you do that?"

Connie held her sword above her head, catching the strikes from both the spear and the sabre simultaneously and holding them. "He is everything." She said through her teeth, her limbs shaking with the effort of holding back the attacks.

The eyes of the holograms flashed. "And what are you?" Pearl asked.

Connie narrowed her eyes and readjusted her weight. Throwing herself over her right shoulder, she rolled to the holograms' left. Before they could regain their balance from her sudden shift in weight, she was baring down on them.

Her blade whirled through the air like a partner in a dance, Connie deftly guiding it with precise steps and strokes. The holograms fell before her, crumbling to dust and vanishing. Connie finished off the final one with a powerful uppercut, leaving her kneeling at the feet of her commander with her cutlass held high. The sabre fell to the ground with a loud clang.

Connie released a deep breath. "…I am nothing." She finished. Her hands shook.

"Good." Pearl replied. She closed her eyes and summoned ten hologram copies of herself this time.

"Again."

Connie rose, panting. But she still lifted her sword and charged into battle. Pearl didn't make her repeat her mantra again but it still rang in her mind as she delivered each stroke, moved through each stance.

_He is everything…I am nothing._

  
***

Several hours later, Pearl finally let her go. Her sword practically stuck to her hand with sweat, Connie stumbled up the endless stairs back to the warp pad and returned to the barracks. Even the force of the transport was too much for her and she collapsed as soon as she arrived, slamming hard into the ground from the three-foot height the warp dropped her at.

_Mustn't let them see…it's weakness…_

She twisted her head to look around. Thankfully, everyone else seemed to be out, probably at dinner or washing up before dinner. The entryway around the warp was silent, a small blessing. Connie dragged herself upright, stumbling towards the weapons rack and depositing her blade among the others. Separated at last from the weapon, she saw the damage the past few days had done. Her sword hand was covered in old and fresh blisters that throbbed painfully every time she tried to move her fingers. Connie groaned. Tomorrow was her day to clean, sharpen, and polish the blades. Maybe Amethyst would cover for her if she asked nicely.

She recalled the bear incident earlier in the day and snorted to herself. Little chance of that…

Her stomach rumbled loudly but she ignored it. All she wanted now was a hot bath, and a few hours of sleep…

The bath water was heavenly, even if the Guards and other trainees had drained the hot water reserves. Connie stripped off her sweat-stained travel clothes, scrubbed as quickly as her injured hand would allow, and wrapped herself in a clean casual tunic and pants.

She was just stumbling towards her bed, a clean bandage for her blisters in hand when a flicker of movement at the window caught her eye. Weary as she was, her training took over. She stopped, motionless as she watched. A small hand fumbled at the windowsill, reaching for the latch a good seven inches out of its reach.

Slipping quietly across the floor on her bare feet, Connie firmly grabbed for the first thing within reach: a half-full water jug. She watched the window carefully, waiting for just the right moment…

As a hand came back into view, still groping for the latch, she lunged.

In one, swift motion, she flung the window open, forced her head out and lifted the jug for a strike.

But instead of apprehending an intruder, she was left blinking dumbly at black curls just before something hard collided with her chin. She jerked her head back in surprise, her eyes watering in pain and by some miracle, managed to not smash her head into the window. Rubbing her chin, she stared down at her little 'intruder'.

"Prince Steven?"

He grinned up at her, his eyes watering as well as he rubbed the top of his head. "Connie! Great! Please don't hurt me!"

Connie dropped the impromptu weapon immediately, pulling her head back inside as Steven stood up. "What are you doing here?" She asked, holding out her hands to help him climb through the window.

Steven eagerly took her hands and followed her back through the window. "I came to see you!" He told her, as if it were obvious. He squeezed her hands tightly. "I didn't get to say goodbye this morning before you had to go see Pearl."

Connie hissed as his grip aggravated her many blisters. Steven frowned at her in concern.

"Are you okay?" He loosened his grip and gently turned her hands over. Connie felt like she should pull her hands free, but she could not bring herself to break the Prince's gentle grip.

Steven's eyes widened as he examined the blisters dotting her hand. "Whoa. You were training really hard today, weren't you?"

"I…yeah…"

Steven dropped her injured hand and pulled her towards her bunk by her good hand. "Let me take a look at that. Pearl patches me up all the time when I get hurt."

Connie was going to protest the Prince's offer to treat her injury but the idea of her Commander being so caring as to bandage every scrape the Prince received distracted her so much she barely noticed when Steven sat her down on her bed and took her hand again.

He carefully bandaged her fingers and palm, concentrating fiercely as he wrapped, unwrapped and then re-wrapped her hand so that all of her blisters were properly covered. Connie sat quietly, too worn out to do anything but watch her prince work.

"There you go!" Steven said as he tied her bandages closed. "All better." He patted her bandaged hand.

Connie smiled wearily. It didn't stop the pain but it did dull the ache in her hands a bit.

"Thank you, my Prince." She pulled her hand free of his and placed it in her own lap. Silence descended over the pair as Connie examined her hand and Steven fumbled in his tunic for something.

"I didn't see you among the trainees at dinner," He said. "so I brought something for you!" He pulled out a small, badly-wrapped package. The unmistakable smell of bean dumplings wafted from it. Connie's mouth watered.

"That is very kind of you my Prince, but no."

Steven's face fell in surprise and confusion as he held the offering out. "What do you mean? Take it. You must be hungry after training so hard today."

He held the package closer but Connie firmly pushed it back to him. "Prince Steven, I cannot accept this." Connie said firmly, even as her stomach growled in betrayal.

The prince looked at her in concern for a moment, his eyes soft and understanding. "Come on, please eat it?" He finally said. He held out the dumplings again. "What's the harm?"

Connie really wanted those dumplings. But she could not accept them. "This is from your table, Prince Steven." Connie replied. "it would not be right for a Trainee to eat a Gem's fare."

"But I brought it for you." Steven pointed out, effortlessly poking holes in her previously flawless logic. "Plus, the Gems don't really eat. They get energy from their gems and that weird powder. But I have to eat because I'm half-human. But there's always way too much food for just me and Dad." He unwrapped the bundle and several plump dumplings poked out of it.

"Prince Steven…"

The prince actually pouted at her. "Please? Friends help each other out right?" His eyes glowed with the same shared camaraderie they had shared in the forest the night before. "Let me help you."

Connie shook her head. "My Prince, I…" She stopped abruptly, nearly biting her tongue.

_I cant be your friend. I am your soldier. I dont need your help._

The words were right there, ready to be said. To keep that distance between them that was so necessary if she were to properly be his knight. But were they the Commander's words? Or her own?

All of her training told her she would always be inferior to the prince. A mere branch of his power meant only for the martyrdom of battle and the obscurity of an army. But here he was, coming to her as an equal, offering her his aide…

It went against every lesson the Guards had ever imparted upon her to accept his help.

She had been silent for several seconds, so long that the Prince was looking at her questioningly. Connie tried to steady herself, to put back up her Trainee mask that hid all her weaknesses and insecurities from her follows. But as she opened her mouth to firmly tell the Prince she could not be his friend, her hand throbbed painfully. In spite of herself, Connie let out a whimper of pain. The slightest crack was all it took to break her mask.

A tear slipped down her cheek, followed rapidly by another until she was full-on crying right there in front of the Prince. Being a Guard meant being alone. She had no friends here and she never would. Her hunger and exhaustion left her feeling so drained and beaten that she wanted to disappear forever. And now she was crying in front of her liege.

Such a worthless knight.

She drew her knees up to her chest, ignoring Steven as he anxiously tried to reach out for her. There was nothing he could say or do that would make this somehow better…

A soft light broke through her tears, a gentle white glow that reminded her of starlight. Connie looked up.

"I used to watch all of your training sessions. Right from the day you arrived." If he felt at all sheepish about this, his kind smile did not betray it. "You used to drop things all the time, especially when you were tired…" The Prince held out a small glowing stone that emitted a steady, strong light. "You dropped this not long after you got here…during the Lights Day celebration…I picked it up, but then I couldn't find a good time to return it to you…"

Connie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. The glowstone. It had been a part of her Trainee gear allotment but when the stone had gone missing after two nights, Connie had assumed one of the other Guards or Trainees had stolen it. She had never mentioned it to the Captain, desperate to not seem incompetent.

"I'm sorry Connie." Steven continued, his gaze dropping. "Whatever I said, I'm sorry." He slid the stone gently into her un-injured hand. "I guess I'm just not very good at making friends."

As his hand brushed hers, Connie realized why she'd been so eager to talk with him in the forest last night. He spoke to her like he understood how lonely she was. And, she realized, he probably was just as starved for friends.

She gently turned the stone over in her palm, the light slowly fading as the magic used to activate it ran out. "Thank you for returning this to me. You've been a big help." She paused, fighting her training as intensely as she had fought Pearl's clones earlier. "…As a friend should be."

Steven perked up immediately. "Really? Friends?" He swung himself towards her, tucking his feet behind him on the bed.

"Yes," Connie finally replied, feeling her frame visibly slump in relief. "Friends." She couldn't fight it any longer, she couldn't do this alone. If Steven wanted to help her, who was she to deny her Prince?

Steven's smile could have put the stars to shame. The Prince held out his hand again. "Wont you eat these then?" The offer of dumplings sat invitingly in his palm.

Connie grimaced slightly but she was already going down this road. Why not go further? She took a dumpling from his offering. It was cold but at that moment, she would have eaten anything. She nearly moaned in delight as she chewed.

Steven watched her, his grin never faltering. "This is nice." He commented, holding out the rest of the dumplings. "We should do this more often!"

His statement reminded Connie of the reality of the situation. Then again, there was nothing saying they couldn't hang out away from watchful eyes…she plucked a second dumpling from her Prince's hands. Perhaps they could even make a game of being descrete about it…

Her eyes glowing with mirth, Connie leaned down to whisper in his ear again. "It'll be our own little secret."

  
***

Commander Pearl sat back in her chair, reviewing the data her holo-clones had collected this afternoon. After 32 victories, she had deemed she had enough information about the human girl and sent her on her way. But so far, she wasn't liking the data she had gathered.

The child's form was getting better with training but today had revealed exactly eight slips in her defense. Eight slips that meant death for the human. Eight chances that the Prince would lose another layer of protection. Pearl made a note for herself on the side of the data column: She'd need to talk with Connie about extra sessions to perfect her forms. She could not let this imperfection remain if the girl were to stay.

The back of her neck prickled and she sighed. "I don't understand why you feel like you need to check up on me…"

Her visitor was characteristically silent, letting the pause convey most of her meaning. "You're worried about the human again." Captain Garnet finally observed. She was standing in the doorframe with her feet planted firmly and her arms crossed.

Pearl leaned back in her chair, staring up at the running analysis of Connie's training routine from the previous afternoon. The recorded segments played on loops on her screen, showing Connie dispatching her holo-clones with immense effort. "She was lagging today. If she cant even keep up with us after missing one night of sleep, how are we supposed to take her on missions?"

"The same way we'll take Steven on missions." Garnet reasoned. "Steven's half-human, he'll need just as much sleep as she will."

"But Steven has a gem." Pearl reasoned. "And a Vitreous, hopefully."

Garnet shrugged. "That doesn't mean she cant be of use."

"She could be a liability."

"She wont."

Pearl let out a short bark of laughter. "You are so certain of that…but I don't comprehend what you see in her."

Garnet was silent again, perhaps examining the looping footage of Connie's last victory of the day. "The girl understands better than all of us just what it means to be human. She could be the bridge Steven needs between the races."

The two of them watched Connie dispatch a sword-wielding hologram, her blade at its throat but not going in for the kill. She had never hesitated before.

"Besides," Garnet commented. "Steven already likes her."

The Commander sighed heavily. "That's what I'm afraid of." She rose and turned to her long-time friend. "And what about the falling star from this morning? Anything we should be concerned about?"

Garnet shook her head. "That's nothing we need to concern ourselves with." She replied. "It will work itself out…just give it time."

They left the office, retreated deep inside the Palace for their respective rooms and the dark hours of contemplation.

Far away, the fallen star glowed in the crater where it had finally landed.


	4. Morning in Castle City

Despite the emotional and exhausting day preceding, Connie woke before sunrise the following morning. Her bandaged hand still ached and her knee was still smarting a bit from her many rounds against the holo-Pearls but she felt…lighter somehow.

Until a thick curtain of lavender hair fell over her, accompanied by a loud yell.

“UPPPPP AND AT ‘UM HUMAN! COME ON! IT’S A NEW DAY!!!”

Connie nearly smashed Amethyst in the nose as she sat up defensively. “I thought you said you were done surprising me?” She snapped at the purple Gem.

The squad leader just grinned, her white teeth flashing in the sunlight. “Surprise. Let’s go!” She unceremoniously dumped Connie out of bed and onto the floor. It was only weeks of practice from just such a morning routine that Connie was able to roll clear of her upended bed and spring to her feet.

“That got old really fast…” She informed the Gem, still sore about Amethyst’s pranks and comments from the day before.

Amethyst smiled conspiratorially. “Just giving you a head start, human.” She set off down the line of beds, yelling raucously and even tipping a few of the Gems out of their rest cycles. Connie rolled her eyes and stretched carefully, warming up her muscles as the hurricane of her drill sergeant tore through the barracks. When she completed her routine, she stood at attention at the foot of her bed, still in her nightdress, thinking about Steven’s visit last night. They had shared the dumplings and Steven had insisted on wrapping her hand in a fresh bandage before sneaking back out the window (Connie had tried to get him to use the door) just before the other Trainees returned from dinner and rounds at the Palace. Connie flexed her injured hand. It felt much better today. Maybe she would be able to hold a sword after all…

Only once the last trainee had been unceremoniously woken did the purple Gem pause and survey her work. All of the barracks’ occupants were lined up squarely at the ends of their beds (except for Citrine who was picking herself off of the floor and cursing Amethyst under her breath). “Okay nerds!” Amethyst addressed them, strutting down the barracks with her hips swaying. “You know the drill, outside in 5. Last out gets barrack cleaning duties! Ten-hut!” She rolled into a ball and shot backwards out of the barracks, leaving several strands of her impossibly long hair behind.

Connie sprang into action. It took her all of three seconds to make her bed and two more to pull off her nightdress. She’d long ago lost any sense of shame about being naked around her fellow trainees. They hardly stared anymore. She dressed in rapid speed, needing to slip on a layer of clothes before reaching for a clean mail shirt and heavy practice breeches. The Gem trainees only needed to pull on their armor, thanks to their abilities to magic clothes onto themselves. Connie took a large mouthful of water from the jug next to her bed and swished it around in her mouth. She spat it out the window, snatched up her sword belt and pelted into the weapons room. Not even bothering to look for a favorite blade, she grabbed the closest sword and jammed it into her belt. She raced for the door just as the last of the trainees was exiting.

All of them lined up outside of the barracks: Connie, Amber, Turquoise, Cymophane, Citrine, and Tourmaline. By some miracle, Connie actually managed to beat Amber outside, meaning that for the first time in months, she was not the one stuck with menial extra chores. She smiled softly to herself.

Amethyst was bouncing around waiting for them next to a very still Captain Garnet. Connie couldn’t be certain but she felt like the Captain was watching her more intently than usual. Then again, with those shades, she could have been asleep for all Connie knew.

A chilling thought passed Connie’s mind. _Does she know?_ Steven wasn’t exactly very discrete. And he spent most of his time with Amethyst, the Captain, and the Commander. He may have accidentally let it slip that he’d visited her…

Garnet was still for a moment longer but the doors to the palace flew open and the Rose Quartz Guards filed out, drawing the captain’s attention away.

Connie and her fellow trainees watched in unabashed awe as the Guards filed past: slim Aquamarine with her polished blue mace in hand, intimidating Blue Topaz twirling her baton, hulking Carnelian with her flail already spinning, tiny Agate with her enormous axe, and muscular Beryl with her scythe casually slung over her shoulders. They filed past the Trainees, barely sparing them a glance. The Guards all saluted Garnet as they passed, then crossed the magical barrier and went about their day.

Amethyst yawned, clearly not as impressed as her recruits. “I’ll be off too then. See ya, losers!” She gave Garnet a sloppy hand gesture that could only generously be described as a salute and walked off towards whatever it was she did with her days. Connie never knew.

Her eyes shot back to Garnet as the large Gem folded her arms, surveying her rookie troops. “Patrol duty will be…” the Captain’s gaze ran up and down the line impassively but Connie somehow knew exactly what was going to happen. “Trainee Connie. You will meet Guard Beryl by the East entrance.”

Connie saluted and stood at attention. “Yes Captain.” She turned and went on her way, not even bothering to look back as Tourmaline mumbled: “figures the human gets to skip morning drills…”

“That’s enough out of you Trainees.” The Captain continued, surprising everyone with her quick retort to Tourmaline’s complaint. “The rest of you get on with training! The Commander is waiting for you in the center compound. Return to the Guard classroom at noon for strategy lessons with Jade.”

The Gem trainees saluted and marched away towards their training grounds. Connie continued walking, knowing even without glancing back that the Captain’s gaze was probably fixed on her again.

She jogged through the barrier, wincing as it tickled her insides and ran towards the city limit, her boots pounding the stones and dirt. This was only her second time on patrol duty. She was not going to have a repeat of last time…she shuddered.

Beryl was waiting for her, spinning her enormous scythe with a bored expression on her face.

She barely raised an eyebrow when she saw Connie approaching her. “Your turn huh?” She commented, her scythe vanishing mid-twirl with a burst of magic. Connie stopped beside her, breathing heavily and trying hard to hide it. “I’d think they’d give you a break after yesterday.” She smirked at Connie but it could not be described as malicious. Teasing was a more accurate term. “Pearl demanded another test for you, huh? Wants to make sure you’re up to snuff now that she’s allowing you around the prince?”

Connie only shrugged. She supposed she should be thanking Beryl for not telling the Commander in her report how close her and the prince had gotten during their time in the woods. But perhaps that had just been luck. Jerking her head towards the compound gate, Beryl led Connie towards the streets of Castle City.

Connie walked quickly to catch up to her patrol partner for the morning, watching the Gem out of the corner of her eye. Beryl was one of the smaller of the Guards but her weapon was one of the largest. The large red scythe the Gem summoned was nearly twice Beryl’s size and curved to a wickedly sharp blade that she spun with terrifying ease. Connie had once watched her dispatch a rampaging direwolf with three quick strokes of the blade.

Beryl herself was muscular but squat, much like Amethyst. But where the Drill Sergeant was all purple, Beryl was all various shades of red. A single streak of black interrupted her form across her chest, emblazoning her so she looked like she was permanently scarred. Spiky black hair dominated her head, crawling all the way down her neck in fine stubble. A curving, faceted gem sat right at the base of her throat. Her full name was Red Beryl but she did not tolerate the nickname of “Red” that Amethyst had tried to bestow upon her. So Beryl it was.

Connie kept pace with the Gem as they crossed into the market and walked along the main way. Shops were beginning to open up for the day as merchants rolled in the gates.

“I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of the duties involved in patrol.” Beryl commented to her as they passed over the river in the east district. “But why don’t you recite them to just keep them sharp?”

Connie nodded obligingly. “We are the keepers of peace and order. We do not bully, we do not persecute, we prevent. Words are our first weapons, blades are a last resort. Never kill a human, never poof a Gem. All are welcome in Castle City.”

Beryl nodded curtly. “Nice. Full marks.”

Connie allowed herself one satisfied smile. Beryl was fair to her at least. She was a serious soldier, not at all concerned with the ins-and-outs of the kingdom, only in how they applied to the safety of the Palace. In the handful of interactions Connie had had with her, she’d been surprised to find that all the tests Beryl gave her were completely reasonable and actually not impossible. Not like the time Blue Topaz had tried to make her climb the city wall without a rope…

A loud yell in a different language had Connie’s ears perking up. She turned to the source and saw a merchant with skin very similar to her own yelling at a man with yellow hair.

“niṅṅaḷ entinekkuṟiccāṇ sansārikkunnatenn aṟiyilla! ippēāḷ enṟe ṣēāpp viṭuka!”

“I don’t speak that language sir, but I am asking you, where did you find this magical piece of Gem holographing technology? I must have it for my collection!

The merchant huffed in annoyance and began flapping a tapestry at the man, muttering curses under his breath.

Connie glowed with excitement, as if she had just found a rare shell in the middle of a desert. Leaving Beryl’s side, she walked over to the market stall, where the yellow-haired man was trying to hold the tapestry back with one arm while he examined a chunk of green metal that looked misshapen and badly scuffed.

Connie approached the merchant confidently, clearing her throat to get their attention. “namaskaram nalla sār . ñān sahāyikkaṭṭe?”

Both of them stopped what they were doing immediately blinking down at the girl in amazement. The merchant glanced up and shrunk back slightly.

“dayavāyi ,” He begged Connie. “ñān enteṅkiluṁ bud'dhimuṭṭ tālparyamillenn.”

Connie followed his gaze. He was looking at Beryl waiting curiously with her arms crossed. She turned to the customer. “What seems to be the problem?” She asked him, switching back to Southern Common with ease.

“I wanna buy this but he wont tell me the price!” The man complained, hefting the piece of junk.

Connie pointed to a sign written in the same language the merchant had been speaking. “It says ‘trade only’. You’d have to provide an item of similar value to trade with him.”

This didn’t seem to deter the man at all. “Oh great! I have just the thing!” He pulled off his brown leather tunic and unceremoniously handed it over to the merchant. Both Connie and the man watched in stunned silence. Now wearing only an undershirt, the customer picked up his strange piece of junk and wandered away, muttering excitedly to himself.

Connie glanced at the merchant who was examining the tunic approvingly. He seemed to think he’d gotten the better deal in this transaction.

Connie bid him farewell, placing her palms together and bowing as was traditional. He bowed back, smiling as he folded the tunic.  
“kāttukeāḷḷuṁ nandi! dēviye niṅṅaḷe anugrahikkaṭṭe!”

“I didn’t know you spoke Hokatu…” Beryl commented as Connie rejoined her.

Connie glanced back at the merchant now whistling happily to himself as the strange yellow-haired man vanished into the crowd. “That wasn’t Hokatu.” She informed Beryl. “It was Keralaese, the language of my tribe.”

Beryl chuckled. “You could have fooled me. You know, for such a young human, you certainly have made a lot more progress than anyone thought. What are you now? Six?”

“I’m thirteen.” Connie snapped back.

Beryl only smiled. “Infant it is then…”

Connie bristled with anger but fought to keep it down. Most of the other trainees were already in their late 40’s, still very young for a Gem. She had started at 12. By the time she was 40, she’d probably be too old and broken to fight.

Beryl seemed to notice that she had upset Connie. She patted the human gently. “The Commander forgot to have a morning meal sent to you this morning?” She inquired.

Connie nodded stiffly, her eyes scanning the market.

Beryl nudged her and pointed towards a small shop called The Big Pastry Shoppe. “Why don’t you grab some human sustenance while I take care of the metals district? You can patrol the south edge of the market and meet me back at the gate in an hour.”

Connie saluted and went on her way silently. She’d never voice it, but she was glad for the food break and the chance to do some of the patrol on her own. Beryl wasn’t so bad, she decided.

She crossed the road and entered the pastry shop. A bell dinged somewhere from the back as the door closed behind her. A young blonde woman looked up from behind a counter piled high with various baked goods and sweets.

“Hello! Welcome to our shop!” The young woman had a very charming smile and big friendly eyes. Connie relaxed immediately.

“Hello. I would like one paratha.” She said, careful to drop the traditional Keralaese way of pronouncing the word so as not to confuse the shop keeper.

“I’m afraid we don’t make those.” The girl replied sheepishly. “But we have some roti and naan if you’d like those.” Her pronunciation was horrible. But she was trying.

“One roti then.” Connie said. She dug in her pocket and extracted two Queen Rose coppers. The girl scooped them off the counter and shouted towards the back.

“Lars! Bring a roti out here would you?”

There was a grumbling noise from the back of the shop followed by loud shuffling.

“So, are you having a good patrol?” The girl asked Connie, throwing her for a loop. Not many of the human residents of the town talked to her if they didn’t have to. She was seen as some kind of odd cross between the human and Gem worlds. Above the humans but below the Gems.

“Good so far.” Connie replied stiffly, reflexively placing her hand over her sword handle. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”

The shop keeper nodded. “Praise the Light Goddess that all is well then!” She made the sign of the Goddess with her hands.

Connie had to smile. She copied the gesture. “And I hope her blessings smile up you as well.” She replied, as was customary in the Kingdom.

The shop keeper looked like she was about to respond when the door to the back of the shop slammed open. A lanky boy slouched into the room, mumbling to himself. He threw a round roti onto the counter and glared at Connie. “there you go then.”

The woman looked admonishingly at him. “Lars, did you heat it up for her?”

The boy rolled his eyes. “Sadie, come on…it’s a piece of flatbread, it can be eaten cold.”

“Lars, please.”

The boy sighed dramatically. “Fine, fine.” Lars swirled his hands and a small shimmer of heat rose from his palms. He waved his hands dis-interestedly over the pastry, warming it slightly with his magic.

It wasn’t much, but Connie’s stomach still turned with envy. How was it Lars could do that and she had never done anything more than make a torch flicker?As a human, she couldn’t expect to do more than merely lift a stone with the power her body was capable of possessing. Gems were made of magic, they had no such restraints. But for her to have less magical endowment than Lars…?

“Here.” The boy said, shoving the warm pastry towards her.

“thank you.” Connie took it and raised it to her lips for a tentative bite. It was pleasantly warm, with a whiff of salt and baked flour. It wasn’t home, but it was good enough.

“This is great.” Connie told the mismatched pair with a smile. “Light Goddess bless you both.”

Sadie nodded gratefully. “Good luck!” She called, waving.

 _I’ll have to come back here._ ” Connie thought. She could tolerate Lars’ bad attitude so long as she got passable roti and polite conversation with Sadie.

Holding her breakfast, Connie stepped out of the shop.

And was nearly bowled over by a huge mass of pink fur.

Connie stood there, completely dumbstruck as a massive pink lion stared her right in the face with glowing eyes.

She was halfway to dropping her food and drawing her sword when a familiar voice rang out across the street.

“Lion! You silly beast, what have I told you about running in front of me?”

The pink lion yawned loudly and plopped down right in the middle of the street, out cold. The once terrifying beast had taken on the appearance of a drowsy house cat.  
To Connie’s surprise, Prince Steven popped up behind the beast, grinning cheerfully as it snoozed.

“Oh Lion, such a character…” Steven gently chastised the thing, laying his body against the cat’s mane. “Lion” huffed and rolled slightly, sending Steven sprawling onto the pavement at Connie’s feet.

“Connie!” The prince seemed delighted to see her. Connie had to admit, seeing him again was almost enough to make her forget about how many times Pearl made her pledge her loyalty to him last night.

She smiled. “Prince Steven!” She greeted him with a bow. “How are you today?”

The prince frowned. “You don’t have to do that you know…” he said, sitting up against his lion and cocking his head at her. His gaze shifted behind her and his face lit up.“You come here too? This is my favorite place!”  
C

onnie glanced over her shoulder at the pastry shop. “Uhh, this was my first time actually…” She admitted.

Steven seemed amazed. “No way!” He stood up and took her hand, practically bouncing with excitement. “You’ve got to come here again. They have the best creampuffs and their fried dough is amazing!”

“STEVEN!”

Connie stiffened immediately, yanking her hand from the prince’s grip. She stood at attention and hurriedly stuffed the rest of her breakfast into her belt pouch. Commander Pearl rounded the corner in a whirlwind of long limbs and her white spear. Connie couldn’t help but stare. She’d never seen the Commander this…frazzled before.

“Steven! What do you think you’re….!” The Commander paused, blinking at Connie in confusion as their eyes met. Connie remained at attention, her heart racing at this unexpected encounter.

“Trainee Connie.” Pearl said stiffly. She straightened up, her spear vanishing from her grip. Her eyes darted around, taking in the relatively quiet square around them. “Where is your patrol partner?” She finally asked.

“We split up to cover the area.” Connie replied, trying her very best not to show any guilt. It had been Beryl’s suggestion and she was pretty sure the Gem would defend her to Pearl if confronted. “She gave me the southern edge of the market district. We are meeting back at the gate within an hour.”

The Commander looked her up and down several times, as if looking for any sign of dishonesty. But a tug from the prince had her completely distracted from Connie.

“Pearl, you promised I could take Lion out by myself.” Steven reminded her, pouting. “That means no following!”

The Commander immediately rolled her eyes and knelt beside him, her face soft. “Steven…until you have control over your powers, we don’t think it is a good idea for you to wander around unprotected.” She chastised him in a tone of voice Connie had never imagined her using with anyone.

Steven seemed unaffected by it. “But I’m not unprotected! I have Lion!” The beast snorted unconfidently, rolling onto its back to stretch languidly. “And…” He turned to Connie and cracked a large grin. “this Guard!” His lie was not very convincing but Pearl didn’t seem to notice.

“She’s not a Guard.” Pearl told him, exasperated. “She cant protect you.”

Connie fought the urge to sigh. _One day,_ she told herself, her fist clenching at her side, well out of Pearl’s sight. _One day I’ll show her…_

Steven was continuing his defense though, Connie’s anger unbeknownst to him. “Please Pearl? I just want to get a snack. Then I’ll come right back for my lessons with you.”

Pearl stared at him for a long time, biting her lip in contemplation. “Alright Steven. But hurry back.” She paused for a moment, glanced at Connie then continued: “this Trainee will accompany you back to the gate.”

Connie saluted in compliance, pointedly ignoring Steven’s triumphant smile.

“Great!” Steven said, his excitement apparent. “I’ll be right back!” He dashed inside the pastry shop, the door slamming behind him.

Connie was left staring at her commander with only the large lion for company. And it didn’t look like that thing was going to be helpful anytime soon.  
Pearl seemed to be torn between staying and leaving. After several moments of tense silence, she nodded curtly to Connie. “Carry on Trainee. I’ll expect your full report before class today.”

Connie bowed. “Yes mam.”

Pearl turned and walked away down the street. Only once she had rounded the corner did Connie relax slightly. Steven came back out of the shop several seconds after, glancing around. “Did Pearl leave? Good.” He sidled up to Connie’s side and took her hand again. “Sorry about before, I really didn’t think Pearl would follow me.” He was clutching a pastry in the other hand, with a large bite already taken out of it.

Connie nodded disinterestedly. “Come on, let’s get going.” She pulled her hand from the prince’s and began walking towards the east gate. Steven followed her. The lion stayed where he’d fallen on the street, snoring contentedly.

“So how’s your hand doing this morning?” Steven asked as they walked side by side. He took another enormous bite of his pastry but kept his eyes on her.

“Good.” Connie replied as they crossed towards the south edge of the market. This was the entertainment district, which was nearly constantly alive with music and light. She frowned. Beryl had meant this as a gesture of trust but it was really just a mundane task. Hardly any trouble came out of the entertainment district.

The prince swallowed the last of his breakfast in a big gulp. “That’s great! I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

Satisfied that this patrol would not require her full attention, Connie smiled at Steven. “Thanks. Really. Your help made a real difference last night.”

Steven beamed. “Best friends!” He cried, throwing his arms up in the air. Connie shushed him frantically, eyes darting around for any sign of a Gem.

“Right, sorry.” Steven covered his mouth with his hands but stared at her with wide, innocent eyes.

They resumed walking, passing by the Fool’s Corner where acrobats and jugglers tumbled and threw objects in the air.

“So...” Connie began after they were past the majority of the ruckus. “I was thinking about that light…”

Steven lowered his hands, his face uncharacteristically serious. “Yeah?”

“I was wondering if maybe it might be some kind of celestial projectile. Maybe a piece of the Belt or a comet that flew off course!”

Steven’s blank expression told her that he didn’t really follow. “Okay…” He replied. “Yeah, some kind of pro-jec-tile…but how would we know?”

“I’m not sure.” Connie admitted, her brow furrowing in thought. “We’d need to know the comets that tend to pass by Earth to see if we could match it…”

“The library has a book on those!” Steven interrupted, bouncing with excitement. “Pearl mentioned it once! We should go!”

Connie’s reservations about entering the palace library must have been apparent from her expression because Steven held up his hands. “Don’t worry, I’ve figured it all out. Pearl will never have to know we were there.”

Up ahead, Connie was acutely aware of Pearl peering at them around the street corner. The Commander was not as discrete as she clearly hoped to be. With a nod of her head, she indicated Pearl’s position. “The Commander is watching my Prince…let’s do this another time…”

Steven did not follow her gaze but he nodded determinedly. “Oh right! Because of the secret!” He winked exaggeratedly at her. “Another time…how about this afternoon?”

“I have strategy training until 2.” Connie replied. Steven only nodded.

“Okay, after your lesson, meet me behind the blacksmith’s shop.” His eyes twinkled. “I have a way into the library that no one will never know about.”

Connie raised an eyebrow. “Ooookay?”

They had reached the gate, Pearl having ducked away to avoid running into them directly.

Steven grinned at Connie. “Thank you guard.” He said formally, bowing. “See you later!” He mouthed, then turned and scampered away.

Connie watched him go with a sigh. Given Steven’s apparent lack of spatial awareness on a normal basis, she doubted this library break-in would go off without a hitch. But her growing desire to see the library was enough for her to put her hesitation aside. She was confident she could figure something out if Steven’s plan went wrong. She was always prepared for anything.

Connie jumped as the wall beside her shifted and changed color. “How’d it go, human?” Beryl asked, appearing out of the shadows, her form colors stabilizing after the use of her Vitreous. She stared after Steven with a curious look on her face.

Connie wondered if Gems flaunting their superior powers around her was just going to have to be something she learned to silently tolerate. Might as well start now.  
“Uneventful.” She looked over at Beryl, as cool as if the Gem had approached her normally. “You?”

The Gem shrugged. “Same.” She folded one arm behind her head and gazed upward as they continued towards the inner palace ring. “Did get to see some humans squabbling over that reflective structure though, so that was fun.”

“Were they locals?” Connie asked, interested.

“No, visitors.” She glanced sideways at Connie. “Looked similar to you actually…but they wore head coverings…any of your tribe visiting?”

Connie shook her head. “They sound like Luminoses on a pilgrimage.”

Beryl blinked at her, clearly not picking up Connie’s meaning.

“Far Northerners? Worshipers of the Great Light Deity? Coming to the Palace’s Shrine to pray to the Light Goddess?” None of Connie’s facts seemed to impress the Gem. “You know, the humans who use the shrine as a way to amplify their prayers? They believe they have to visit the shrine at least once in their life to pass on when they die?” Connie had known many Luminoses back in her village. “They’ve been coming to the Shrine ever since it was built in the first years of Gem civilization. The legends say Queen Rose built it to commemorate the founding of their new kingdom and pay respects to the Light Goddess. Luminoses legends say that the Shrine is the Goddess herself in immobile form…None of this rings any bells?” Connie finally asked, exasperated.

“Oh I know all that.” Beryl said casually, plucking a berry off of a basket near the gate and popping it into her mouth. “I just wanted to see how long you could go. Seems like you’ve read a whole textbook on the subject…”

Connie felt herself flush a deep crimson. “You could have told me to shut up then…” She muttered, feeling a bit foolish.

Beryl laughed, a full, deep-throated laugh of genuine humor. “I’ll give you this human…you’ve got your uses. And you’re funny. Perhaps there’s a place here for you after all…”

Connie said nothing. There was little she could do but follow the Guard back towards the Palace. But she felt a smile tugging at her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations in this chapter*:  
> *Disclaimer: I do not speak Malayalam ("Keralaese") although I know a few phrases and grammar rules. These were all done with Google Translate so any mistakes are entirely my fault. If anyone wishes to help me with future translations, message me!  
>   
> niṅṅaḷ entinekkuṟiccāṇ sansārikkunnatenn aṟiyilla! ippēāḷ enṟe ṣēāpp viṭuka! =You dont know what you are talking about! Leave my shop now!
> 
> namaskaram nalla sār . ñān sahāyikkaṭṭe?” = Hello good sir, can I help?
> 
> dayavāyi , ñān enteṅkiluṁ bud'dhimuṭṭ tālparyamillenn = please, I don’t want any trouble
> 
> kāttukeāḷḷuṁ nandi! dēviye niṅṅaḷe anugrahikkaṭṭe = thank you guard, may the goddess bless you!


	5. Breaking All the Rules

For the first time since she’d joined the Guards, her afternoon lessons seemed to drag on forever. Connie scribbled notes diligently as Jade discussed battle formations and moved the tiny figures on the holographic arena board. She was the first to raise her hand to answer the questions the small Gem asked, even if Jade’s eyes always passed right over her. But for the first time, she sympathized with Turquoise when the Gem sighed and banged her head upon her desk. Time felt like it was dragging before she could run off to join Steven for his harebrained scheme to get into the Palace Library.

“…And in such a case…a frontal assault would be ill-advised and cause heavy casualties.” Jade concluded, placing her hand down on the board to de-activate it. The holograms flickered out of existence. “That is all for today trainees,” The small Gem faced the class with her hands on her hips. “I will expect your reports on this lecture and possible counter battle formations by next lecture, understood?”

As one, they all stood beside their desks and saluted. “Yes, Jade!”

The Gem smirked. “Dismissed.” The short gem walked behind her desk, piled high with data logs and ancient tomes that were swollen and strained against their bindings.

Connie scooped up her books and data logger, eager to leave but a short bark stopped her in her tracks. “Human.” She flinched, Jade’s sharp voice as effective as Amethyst’s whip for keeping her in place. “A word.”

Connie turned slowly, stepping out of line to allow her classmates to file past her out of the room. Amber winced sympathetically but Tourmaline made a slicing motion across her throat and sneered at Connie as she left. Connie brushed past her and approached the palace scholar.

“Yes, Mistress Jade?”

“You seemed a little distant today.” The scholar said, shifting a massive pile of books from her desk to the floor and leaping on top of them so she was the proper height to look Connie in the eye. The teal-colored gem peered at Connie closely. “Anything you want to talk about?”

“I…what?” Connie had been prepared for a lecture or a put down, not a question. Jade just looked at her expectantly. She was easily the smallest of the Gems Connie had met in Castle City. Standing at barely 3 feet tall and shining a bright, polished teal color, nothing about her form was threatening. Unless one counted her hard black eyes and razor-sharp hair that pointed straight down the sides of her face and curled into a tight bun on the back of her head. Her clothes were a long, tight robe that clinched across her form from left to right, tucked into a tight black belt at her waist. She had no visible muscles and Connie had never seen her summon or handle a weapon.

“I know I’m not one of the flashier Guards with their weapons and battle records.” The small gem continued, crossing her legs and sitting with all the dignity of royalty. “But I have my place in the Palace. I have my own talents too. And I noticed that you were not taking notes today as religiously as you usually do.” She leaned forwards. “So what’s on your mind, Connie of the Maheswarens?”

Connie was taken aback. She struggled to find her words for a moment, unable to even correct Jade on the pronunciation of her tribe name as the scholar’s accent was flawless. “I…I am just a little tired today Mistress.” She bowed her head. “I…I will do better in the future, sorry.” She kept her head lowered as she felt Jade’s gaze traveling over her form.  
After several agonizing minutes, the Gem finally sighed. “…very well. I suppose the Commander has been giving you extra work lately and with your organic form, lethargy is to be expected in such a case…You are dismissed.”

Connie stood and tried incredibly hard to keep her footsteps even as she left the room. She knew Jade was watching her the whole time. As soon as the classroom was out of sight, she broke into a sprint. She tore right past Cymophane and Turquoise, ignoring their shouts of “slow down, human!” and “what did she get into this time?” in favor of leaping down the stairs and rolling over her shoulder to smooth out her landing. In less than a minute, she was out of the palace and racing across the courtyard towards the barracks.

“Whoa!” Amethyst shouted, turning to watch Connie pass. “Extra training, human? NEEERRRRRDDDD!”

Connie shouldered open the barracks door, sliding into the bedroom. She dropped her things on the bed and pulled open her drawer. She snatched up a thick stack of loose pages she had and a self-filling pen. If she and Steven were going to find answers about this celestial object in secret, best not to record information on her data logger. Pearl, Garnet and Jade all had access to those files. She stuffed the papers and pen into her belt pouch.

Her fingers brushed something as she went to close the drawer and she paused. After a moment’s hesitation, Connie snatched up the glowstone and tucked it into her pouch as well. Best to be prepared.

Nodding in satisfaction that she had everything she could foresee needing, Connie leapt to her feet and sprinted for the barracks entrance. She had still beat all the others back but that was only part of her worry. She feared more than anything else that Steven would leave if she weren’t on time.

Connie threw open the barracks door again, mentally mapping the fastest route to the blacksmith’s shop, when a pointed cough froze her in her tracks.

“Trainee Connie?”

Her legs snapped together, heart pounding and she saluted her Commander with the traditional two-handed pose. “Yes, Commander Pearl?” She tried to hide her labored breath but she knew she was shaking.

Pearl’s eyes traveled her body interestedly. “What do you think you’re doing?” She snapped in the voice Connie knew was reserved only for her when she was not living up to the others.

“Just…going into town to run some human errands ma’m.” Connie lied, really hoping that the Commander was terrible at reading facial cues. She also hoped she had no desire to know what “human errands” were. She herself had no idea.

Pearl crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “With your sword?”

Connie started and looked down. In her excitement, she’d completely forgotten her sword was still attached to her belt.

“N…no of course not.” She untied the scabbard from her belt and held it out to Pearl. “My apologies, I forgot to remove it after lessons today.” Well, she really wouldn’t need a sword in the library, would she?

Pearl nodded as she took the weapon. “Try to be a little less careless in the future, Trainee.” She waved one of her pale blue hands disinterestedly. “Off you go.”

Hardly daring to believe her luck that such an encounter had not ended with more training or chores, Connie saluted again and walked away, glancing over her shoulder twice but only finding Pearl watching her one of those times.

As she passed the magical boundary — shivering far more intensely than she had this morning — she broke into a sprint again, feeling much lighter without her weapon at her side.

She skidded around the corner in the south metals district, narrowly avoiding a towering pile of iron ore and dove behind the blacksmith’s forge where most of the weapons were sent for repairs. The huffing of the bellows and the schings and clangs of metal-work drowned out her labored breath and let her collect herself while she checked for any followers.

None. She was safe.

Connie grinned, pleased with herself for pulling this off. She felt…strange, being so disobedient. Normally she’d balk at even the thought of disobeying Pearl’s commands but the knowledge that she would get to spend more time with Steven was…invigorating.

“HEEEEY!”

The loud whisper drew her attention towards the large barrels of water the smiths used to cool pieces they worked on. A familiar black head of curls poked out from behind them, along with a hand that beckoned her closer. Connie dashed for the barrels, jumping and rolling behind them just because she could, not because it was anymore stealthy than simply running.

The Prince grinned as she joined him. “Finally! Come on, let’s go!” He took her hand, (Connie letting hers remain in his grip this time) and pulled her back towards an alley that reeked of human waste and garbage. Sitting casually in the middle of all of this, was the massive pink lion from that morning.

“Liiiionnn!” Steven sang out, rushing towards the great beast and holding out his hands. “Come say hi to Connie!”

The beast gave Connie a short, disinterested look then turned away, digging through one of the garbage heaps.

Connie stared. “Uhhh, Steven?” He turned to her, curious. “What is this and why do you have it?”

Steven grinned at her. “You’re using my name.”

Connie smiled back. “Of course, that’s what you wanted, right?”

The prince’s smile faltered slightly. “Right…” He turned back to the lion, who was currently munching on something he’d found in one of the piles. “This is Lion. He followed me home one day when I was out with Garnet, Amethyst, Aquamarine, and Pearl in the desert.” Steven cracked an adorable puppy face and cuddled into the lion’s mane. “He LOOOOOVVVESSSS me.” The beast sneezed.

Connie regarded the Lion, which seemed even less loving and willing to help than it had been this morning. “Right.” She turned back to Steven. “So where is this ‘secret passage’ into the library you mentioned?”

Steven leaned out of the massive pink mane. “Oh, Lion’s going to take us there.”

Connie blinked several times. “What?”

Steven grinned conspiratorially at her. “We’re going to ride him to the library!” He whispered loudly.

Connie had to admit, she hadn’t imagined the Prince’s plan would be quite so unrefined. “With all due respect, I don’t think riding a pink lion into the palace is going to be very discrete...”

Steven however, was already wriggling up onto the beast’s back. “No one will see us, I promise!” He held his hand out for Connie. “Come on? Please trust me on this?”

Connie bit her lip but she couldn’t help the smile. She took his hand and leapt up, taking a seat behind the Prince on the large beast.

“Okay Lion!” Steven cried, pointing down the alley. “Take us to the library!”

Lion huffed, shifting back and forth on his feet, clearly having no intention of moving.

“Uhhh…” Steven threw a sheepish smile over his shoulder at Connie. “He…he doesn’t always listen to me…but I’m sure he’ll get us there so we can get the answers we need…”

Lion stiffened suddenly, letting out a short yowl. Without warning, he took off like a shot…towards the brick wall at the back of the alley.

A startled yelp left Connie’s lips and she clutched Steven instinctively as the massive beast moved under them. Riding this thing was like trying to balance on top of an avalanche. The wall was coming up fast but Lion wasn’t slowing down…

Ten feet from smashing into the wall, Lion leapt, roared mightily and sent a pink shockwave shooting out of his mouth. A glowing circle of light appeared on the wall. Lion flew right towards it.

Connie and Steven both screamed, flinching against the expected collision…

Instead the sensation of warp travel overcame them. Connie opened her eyes. And gasped in surprise. They were travelling through pink space, clinging to Lion’s fur as he carried them through.

“He can WARP?” Connie cried, clutching Steven tighter to avoid getting thrown off.

Steven grinned at her. “I TOLD you no one would see us!”

Quite suddenly, they were skidding along a long hall, Lion’s momentum throwing them to the side. Lion sat down hard upon stopping, sending his riders tumbling to the floor on top of each other.

“That…” Connie was breathless. “That was AMAZING!”

Steven giggled from somewhere above her. “Yup. I told you he’d get us here!” He was sprawled on top of her, practically in her lap. The prince rolled away onto his front with an “oof!”

Connie stood and brushed herself off. “It’s awfully dark in here…” She offered the prince a hand and helped him up. “Hold on…” She dug out her glowstone and rubbed it vigorously. Painfully slowly, the magical stone began to glow. Connie held it up. She frowned.

“Isn’t this…?” There were no books in sight and the walls appeared to be slightly curved.

“Wait a minute…” Steven grabbed her hand, lifting the stone a little higher. The light curled up the wall, revealing smooth stone, then colored glass, then…

Connie swallowed hard. “Steven…”

But the Prince was turning to shout at his feline friend. “Lion! I said LIBRARY, not TEMPLE. Why would you take us here?” The beast was silent.

Connie felt her stomach drop as her worst fears were confirmed. “We’re inside the Temple?”

“Sorry.” Steven apologized genuinely. “I don’t know why Lion took us here…”

Connie was backing away from the enormous wall, partially in fear and partially captivated by what her expanding circle of light was revealing.

“Connie?”

“Steven, I shouldn’t be here…” She could sense the hum of magic in the air, intensity like the walls themselves were watching her every move, seeking out the least magical creature within and threatening her very thoughts.

“What? Why not? There’s nothing to be afraid of in the Temple! It’s easy to get lost so…whoa!” His attention had been captivated by what Connie had discovered. “What is this?”

Connie lifted the stone slightly higher but there was no need. The room had begun to lighten, darkness peeling away as their presence made whatever magic prevailed here activate. The room filled with a dim light, enough for them to lower the glowstone and drink in what they were seeing.

It was a large mosaic, a complex conglomeration of stones and polished metals that was obviously meant to be depicting a scene. A brilliant number of stars and circles dominated the top half of the wall, stretching into the infinite darkness above.

Just above their heads, a small pink figure stood alone before a faceless mass of darkness streaming towards her and its faceless commander pointing them onwards. Behind the pink figure cowered a mass of smaller figures, hands over their heads. Above her, four brilliant colors twined together into a pointed spear of energy, poised to pierce the horde. Connie stepped closer, shining her stone on the wall, illuminating the figure in bright light.

“Whoa.”

The light transformed the mural. Where before the pink figure had been alone in facing the horde, now an enormous being was silhouetted beside her, aiding her cause. The angular figure’s hand was extended towards the darkness, their eyes glowed with the reflected light. Tiny flecks of mica had been embedded in the wall between the new figure and the horde. When the light fell upon them, they flickered and gave the impression of an enormous gust of wind and light bearing down among the enemy. It was…breathtaking to say the least.

Steven stood beside her, looking up. “Is that a Gem?” He asked, tilting his head.

“No idea…” Connie replied, examining the scene again looking for clues. She pointed at the pink figure, outlining the massive curly hair with her finger. “This one here is obviously meant to be Queen Rose.” She frowned, holding her light closer to make the embedded mica brighten. “I think the hidden figure is supposed to be the Light Goddess, perhaps this is from some Gem Scripture?”

Steven shook his head. “I don’t think so…Jade’s read me most of the Scriptures and I’m sure I’d remember one like this…maybe it’s the Creation Story?”

“I don’t think so…” Connie replied, running her finger over the smooth stone. “There’s no indication of the Illuminated Fountain…plus, Queen Rose wouldn’t have been at the creation of humankind…” She paused, glancing at the prince. “Would she?”

Steven shrugged. “How would I know?”

Connie grinned sheepishly. “right…” She took a step back, making the hidden figure fade from the mural as her light source moved. “We…we should get out of here.” She still had that unsettling feeling of something watching her.

Steven glanced at the mural again, then back at her. “Yeah, we need to get to the library.” He turned away, moving down the hall towards where the light was strongest. “Lion! Liiioooonn! Where are you?” He called, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Connie followed him, glancing around for the cat. But they were alone.

She bit her lip nervously. “He wouldn’t…leave us here…would he?”

Steven adamantly shook his head. “no! He’s probably just wandered off…we’ll find him.” He groped towards her in the darkness, blindly reaching for something. It was only once he took her free hand that Connie realized he had been looking for her.

She smiled at him, trying to look reassuring. Together, they continued down the long hallway of the mural room.

They passed another section of the mural and Connie caught sight of yet another depiction of the pink figure. Queen Rose Quartz.

This one showed Rose in a flowing white dress, her trademark pink shield on her right hand held up in defiance of whatever threatened her people. Her other hand sparkled with mica diamonds; the strength of her magic displayed in artistic form.

The image gave Connie the shivers. “All fear the Rose shield, which beat back the darkness and tamed the wild light. Under its facets, those of pure heart find peace and strength…endurance to fight any foe.”

The proverb had been one of the first of Jade’s innumerable Scripture lessons. Connie had also often times heard Pearl muttering it to herself.

Every single member of the Guard knew that proverb, as well as the 14 others that spoke of the Queen’s legendary deeds. All of the Gems — especially those who had known the late monarch — harbored a deep awe of Queen Rose and by association, held the prince in expectant high regard. Connie had never met Rose but the stories in the proverbs painted her as a goddess nearly on par with the Great Light Deity herself.

But…

She glanced to her side, to the young boy holding her hand in the dark. His hair was dark where his mother’s had been light, he was small where she had towered. His flesh was soft where hers had been made of magic and light.

They paused at another mural, this one showing the Queen leading her faithful Gem and human followers through the mountain passes on their way to found Castle City. The feminine queen easily lifted a massive boulder over her head, allowing the humans to stream past.

The prince’s gaze was drawn to the picture, staring at it with an expression Connie could not read but understood nonetheless.

Steven was not a god. He had all the expectations of greatness from his mother and a legacy to uphold for his kingdom (and presumably Queen Rose’s powers) but no one talked of him as the savior his mother was. He had to fill her shoes.

Connie gave his hand a gentle squeeze, drawing him from his thoughts. “Let’s keep moving.” She suggested.

Steven nodded and they walked away, leaving Queen Rose’s legacy behind them.

“Connie?” Steven asked after a moment, his voice echoing slightly off of the walls. She turned to him to show she was listening.

His face was half cast in shadow by the glowstone’s light. “Why was Pearl so…strict with you earlier?”

“She’s my Commander.” Connie replied. “She always talks to me like that.”

Steven seemed confused. “But…not all the time?”

Connie nodded stiffly. “Yes. Pearl never allows me to let my guard down. She always pushes me to do more, to work towards being even a fraction of what the other Trainees are. It…” She caught herself before remembering who she was with. “It’s exhausting.” She finally admitted. “Pearl never stops and she expects me to do the same.” Her voice had turned bitter somewhere in the middle of that statement.

“Pearl’s not so bad.” Steven assured her. “Really! She’s thoughtful and supportive and she takes care of me! I thought she was like that with everyone.”

“I’m not saying she isn’t those things!” Connie hastily amended her statement. “I appreciate everything she’s done for me, I really do!” She paused. “But…sometimes I wish she didn’t single me out so often…”

Steven looked thoughtful in the half-light. “Yeah…” His hand squeezed hers.

“Oh look!” Something had caught the prince’s attention on the floor before them. He dropped Connie’s hand and knelt at the edge of what could only be described as a cloud stuck to the floor. “Here’s some kind of doorway…” A long glass pipe that was the color of rich wine ran from the dark ceiling above them down through the cloud. The light from the shape was so brilliant that the star stone seemed unnecessary.

Connie tucked the stone back into her pocket and dropped down next to him, looking down.

The view was spectacular, like someone had painted a hyper-realistic portrayal of clouds at sunset onto the floor, extending down endlessly…

Connie frowned. In fact, this looked a little too realistic…

“Steven, be careful…I think this is…” But the prince was already leaning his whole body over the hole, bracing himself by leaning on the pipe.

As one might expect when leaning on a glass pole, something slipped. The prince fell right down through the cloud, scrambling to grab the glass pipe for support.

Connie vainly reached out for him. “Steven!!” But he was sliding away from her, rapidly. Having no other options, Connie jumped after him, grabbing onto the pole and sliding as fast as she dared.

The sensation was exhilarating. Everything shot past faster than Connie could comprehend what she was seeing: pink clouds…dark stone…something large and red and beating…

Steven’s cries echoed through the endless chambers they were shooting past. “WHhhhHHHooooOOOaaaaAAAAaaaaaaaa!!!!”

The pole inexplicably forked. Steven shot off to the right. Connie, completely independent of her struggles to do otherwise, found herself sliding left. Her fingernails scrabbled against the smooth glass under her hands, trying to find purchase where there was none. Steven’s cries were getting quieter and quieter. She was going to lose him in here.

As much as she dreaded it, she knew she had to let go. This was only going to keep carrying her further away unless she got off.

_On three…one….two…three!_

Connie pushed away from the pole with all her might. She had a momentary sensation of weightlessness, of being suspended in nothing. Then she fell hard and fast, hurtling downwards. But just as she started to brace for impact, her momentum suddenly reversed and she was flying up…

She landed on the ground heavily but not painfully and slowly stood up.

“Steven?”

Everything looked so tall…so disconnected. The room around her was wide and open but with an extremely cluttered ceiling. Blocks were strewn about everywhere on it, completely randomly and looking like they were about to fall. Connie tilted her head slightly, wondering what was keeping them up there…

And then it hit her. She was standing on the ceiling.

Her long braided hair was falling upwards, towards the blocks resting on the ground above her. She shook her head, somewhat distracted by how her gravity-defying hair moved with the motion.

_The physics make no sense in here! No wonder the magic seems so powerful…it’s literally shaping reality._

Being surrounded by so much power was making her feel dizzy. Or maybe that was just from being suspended against gravity.

Connie shook her head again, harder this time, trying to will herself to think. She needed to find the pipe, follow it back to Steven and get out of this place!

Gritting her teeth, she took a careful step. Nothing gave way. The floor remained above her head and her feet remained securely on the ceiling. “Okay…so far so good.” She took another step and glanced around, trying to find the opening the pipe had come through. Far above her head, the pipe snaked through the room, dodging the blocks on the floor and shooting to the right, cutting perpendicularly through the ceiling. She made her way towards it, stepping more confidently as it became apparent that gravity wasn’t going to reverse on her.

The pipe vanished through another opening in the walls above her but a small doorway greeted Connie at her level. She jumped through it, momentarily disoriented as gravity reversed again and she was once again standing on the floor.

This room was fragmented and once again seemed to pick which rules of physics it wanted to follow. Several chunks of stone were suspended in mid-air before her, forming a broken path across the large room.

“Okay…simple enough.”

Connie jumped, hardly surprised at all when gravity pulled her a little harder than normal. She barely made the easy distance. She adjusted herself and leapt again, making this jump with a little more landing room this time.

The remainder of the room was much the same, the jumps getting easier as she went until only three feet of space remained between her and the doorway. Connie leapt mightily. In all honesty, she leapt a little harder than she needed too…

The landscape around her changed as if she had jumped through a warp from the muted grays of the floating boulders to brilliant, crystalline blue.

“What the…?” She slammed into the ground as the gravity changed yet again.

Connie groaned and lifted herself to her feet, rubbing her elbow as she looked around. She was in some kind of glowing cavern. A waterfall cascaded from the ceiling to the floor on her left and several pools of water were randomly scattered about the floor. Between all of those, were massive piles of junk.

Old pieces of armor, stacks of helmets and broken furniture among brand new clothes and rotting food…

Connie wrinkled her nose as she passed a pile of what looked (and smelled like) ripening cheese.

There was no sense of intention in this place. The piles all bled into one another. Whoever lived here had a serious problem with order…

“…aaaaaAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!”

Something fell off the waterfall with a splash. Before Connie could locate a weapon among the junk, a curly head popped to the surface.

“Steven!”

The prince sputtered and coughed. “Connie!” He flailed around for a moment then crawled towards the land. The pool of water under him was surprisingly shallow for the distance he had fallen, but after all the broken laws of physics she’d seen in this place, Connie decided not to dwell on it.

They raced towards each other, stopping just short of actually crashing into each other. Connie grabbed the Prince by the shoulders and fiercely examined as much of him as she could see.

“Are you alright? What happened? Where did you go?” Steven didn’t seem at all hurt or bothered by their separation. That or he was just overjoyed at being reunited.

“I…I shot off down the pipe and I entered this room that was all pink and fluffy…only then it wasn’t, it was dark and dreary like the first one…then the pipe took me into a room filled with waterfalls…”

Connie’s brow furrowed. “Waterfalls…” Something about that seemed familiar. “Steven…” She began, apprehension coloring her voice. “This room…did it have…anyone in it?”

“Uhh…yes.” Steven admitted sheepishly. “…Pearl knows I’m here.” He muttered.

Connie froze. “What?”

Steven waved his hands. “The pipe took me right by her! Then I fell off of her waterfalls…she seemed pretty upset that I was here.”

Connie sighed exasperatedly. “Of course she is Steven! This place is dangerous!”

“The Gems are in here all the time!”

“Because they’re GEMS. They are literally made of magic! We are humans!”

Steven stared at her. “I’m only half human…” He said quietly.

Connie dropped her hands from his shoulders. “R…right…” She folded her arms protectively around herself. “s…sorry.”

A loud yawn from behind Steven broke both of their attentions. They were not alone. Lion emerged from behind a stack of half-broken furniture, looking like had had just woken up from a nap.

“Lion!” Steven cried, rushing to the beast and burying his face in its mane. Connie approached more slowly, eyeing the creature with disdain.

“Where’d you get to you silly beast?” Lion merely growled slightly in response, rubbing his head under Steven’s arm, searching for a scratch.

Steven pushed him away. “No, no mister! No scratching! Why’d you leave us like that?”

Lion was silent. Finding no attention from Steven, he wandered away again, walking to the edge of a pool and gazing into it.

“Lion! Don’t walk away when I’m trying to punish you!” Steven called, following his pet. “You’re on a time-out for leaving us alone like that!”

Lion ignored him, choosing instead to dunk his entire head into the puddle he was examining. His entire mane vanished from sight.

“What is he doing?” Connie asked, curious in spite of her current disdain.

“I don’t know…” Steven leaned forward, trying to see but Connie reflexively yanked him backward. She wasn’t going to lose him down any more odd sinkholes again.

Lion suddenly whipped his head back out of the puddle, shook himself mightily (drenching them both) and huffed at them impatiently. Then he sprung up and dove headfirst into the puddle. Vanishing into it completely.

“Huh?” Connie got down on her knees and peered into the puddle. There was no sign of the cat. And it didn’t look too deep. In fact…

She took a deep breath and thrust her head down. She sputtered in surprise. There was another room inside this puddle. Or maybe the puddle was another door…? Her head hurt trying to figure it all out.

Lion yowled at her from below, standing on the floor of the room some ten feet below her.

With a yank, Steven pulled Connie back into the crystal room, causing her to accidentally inhale some water in surprise.

“Connie! Are you alright?”

“Fine.” Connie croaked, hacking up the last bit of water from her lungs. “…there’s…another room down there.”

“What?” Steven went to stick his head in the water but Connie pulled him back.

“We’ll need to jump in.” She told him.

For the first time that day, Steven looked a little apprehensive.

“I cant swim…” He admitted.

Connie smiled and stood. “Remind me to teach you sometime…” She offered him her hand.

Steven took it slowly but firmly. Together, they jumped into the pool.

  
***

They were wet for all of two seconds before the water abruptly vanished and they fell into the room below.

The fall wasn’t too bad but Connie still hated the sensation of slamming into any hard surface. She’d been doing far too much of that today already. Steven, on the other hand, seemed fine.

“Whoa!”

They glanced around the cavernous room. It was warm, nearly hot. Probably from the pit of lava that was in the center of the floor. The walls were made of what looked like a cross between red sand and iron that had all melted together from an intense heat. The pipe from before was here. In fact, it seemed to be everywhere. Dozens of identical sections of pipe crisscrossed the walls, emerging in some places and diving into others. About five different sections came down directly from the darkness of the ceiling. Connie was willing to bet that if she’d held on to the pipe long enough before, she would have eventually ended up here.

Steven tugged on Connie’s hand. “Hey! Look, another picture!”

Connie turned to follow his gaze and easily found the mural he was indicating. The two of them walked towards it, Lion padding along silently behind them.

“Queen Rose must have really liked murals…” Connie commented, examining the stonework.

This one was far smaller than the last two.

At its center was a massive figure with 6 arms and what looked like a mask over their face. They were fighting off another figure just as large as they were; a great lumpy creature of earth that had only two dull white eyes to represent a face. The warrior handled several weapons with ease: a hammer, a bow and a long whip with a ball on the end.

Connie tilted her head to the side as she reached into her belt, pulling out the glowstone again. She held it up to the mural but the light revealed nothing this time. It did make the eyes of the earth creature shine in a disconcerting way though.

“Connie. Look at this!”

She looked where Steven was pointing. A small pillow rested on a stone pedestal at the foot of the mural. Nestled into the very heart of the pillow was a greenish gemstone.

“What is that?”

Steven peered at the inscription roughly carved into the pedestal. “it says…‘Desert Glass, do not place on the earth’…”

Connie stood on her tiptoes to get a better look at the object. “is it…a Gem?”

“Gems aren’t put into things!” Steven admonished her, as if the thought itself was a crime.

“Right…” Connie assured him, still not convinced. The shape and cut of the stone reminded her of Amethyst’s stone with its multiple edges and hard angles. But what on Earth was it doing here?

Steven poked at the pillow experimentally but Connie grabbed his hand. “Don’t! It could be dangerous!”

“I don’t think so. We just cant let it touch the ground, right?”

“I prefer that we not risk that…”

Lion pushed between them, sniffing heavily. He jostled Connie roughly out of the way and poked his nose into the pedestal. As she regained her footing, Connie caught sight of his eyes and shuddered. They glowed like those in the mural.

Without even a second’s hesitation, Lion snatched up the Desert Glass in his teeth. He knocked the pedestal over carelessly, furiously shaking the pillow in his teeth.

“Lion!” Connie hissed, trying in vain to grab the swinging Gem artifact. Lion easily held the pillow out of her reach.

The stone pedestal hit the floor with a small puff of dust. Something clinked, followed by a bang. With the sound of metal sliding over metal, a section of the floor opened ominously, the darkness within whirring and vibrating.

Connie moved herself in front of the prince slightly, her hand finding his almost reflexively.

Lion was batting at the pillow now, as if it were a toy. He snarled happily.

“Bad Lion!” Steven shouted at him, waving his free arm as if it would catch Lion’s attention. “Put that down…put it down!!”

Lion did not obey. Steven dropped Connie’s hand and waved both his arms at the cat. “Lion, come on!” The ominous noises from the floor were growing louder and more frequent. They had to get out of here.

Thinking quickly, Connie ran at the wall. Reversing her momentum at just the right time, Connie vaulted into the air and snagged Lion around the neck, wrangling the massive cat as if he were one of the panthers from back home. But unlike his smaller brethren who wriggled and collapsed if their necks were assaulted, Lion hardly seemed bothered to have a 13 year-old child essentially clinging to his mane.

He shook his head, as if she were merely a fly that had annoyed him. Connie dug her heels into the floor, wincing as her feet dragged across the hot floor.

Steven had somehow managed to grab the pillow and was trying to wrestle it from his pet’s mouth.

“Come….on….Lion….let…it…go!”

At that moment, some combination of their efforts finally convinced the cat that his toy wasn’t worth fighting two children for. He dropped the pillow, sending Steven sprawling towards the lava pit and leaving Connie pressed heavily against his pink fur, half-hidden in his mane.

“Whew!” Steven sat up, waving the pillow at her. “That was…”

Something clanged heavily in the opening in the floor.

“…lucky.” Steven finished.

Something was rising from the hole. Something that was whirring and clanking a lot faster now.

Connie stared in horror as some kind of technological torture machine levitated from the pit and hovered in the air of the burning room. It stank of magic and of something else entirely, something foreign. The thing was cylindrical, with two round appendages stuck on the tube as if to represent eyes. Around the base of its long body was a ring of multi-colored cannons. The ring was spinning slowly. It let out a slow serious of beeps and the eyes shifted to focus intently on the pillow in Steven’s grip.

Steven paled. “Uhhh…Hi!”

The machine whirred menacingly. It began to drift towards Steven.

“Steven!”

Both of their heads shot up to the new voice, Connie needing to peer over Lion’s back to find the source. Her blood chilled. She knew that voice anywhere. Commander Pearl had finally found them. She stood slightly above them, where the burning room opened up to a suspended archway and hallway leading back into the temple. Pearl looked furious, grasping her spear as she glared down at Steven.

Ducking as fast as she could, Connie struggled to hide in Lion’s mane but there was nowhere she could go. So much for their friendship with Steven. If the Gems caught her here, she was done with the Guards…

“Steven, be careful!” Pearl called.

Attracted by the new voice, the sentry bot or whatever it was, shifted itself clumsily around. The cannons around its edge spun furiously until finally settling on the red one. With a bang, it fired a massive fireball at Pearl. The Commander dove sideways but the attack sent several massive hunks of stone and pipe falling over the opening she had been standing in.

“Pearl!” Steven cried, and made as if to run to her aid. An ominous clank from the bot had him freezing in his tracks, the pillow clutched tightly in front of him. The rotating cannons on the bot spun slowly, as if assessing which attack could destroy him most effectively.

Connie sprang forward, grabbing Steven and pulling him away just as the bot fired. They sprawled on the floor, winded and feeling small burns rise on their skin where it touched the floor.

A shadow fell over them and Connie flinched. But it was only Lion.

Steven sat up, his face red and scratched. “Lion! Get us out of here!”

The beast just stared at them, completely uncompassionate. After what felt like far too long, he crouched beside them. They wasted no time clambering onto Lion’s back, the pillow grasped tightly in Steven’s hand.

The bot circled back, mechanisms whirring as it readied for another attack. Connie had barely seated herself before Lion took off, racing in a wide circle around the burning room. She clung to Steven again, her fingers feeling the fabric of the pillow. For just a second, she contemplated just flinging it away but then Lion abruptly changed direction and all of her attention shifted back to needing to hold on.

Lion leaped and roared, a portal appearing on the far wall.

They leaped towards it and for just one brief second, Connie thought they were free. They were passing through warp space, the familiar sensations tickling her skin and stealing her apprehension away.

Then Lion grunted in pain and jerked backward and they were falling…

They skidded onto a floor, a different floor from that of the burning room and Connie was shaken loose from Lion’s back. She somehow managed to land on her feet this time, balancing her fall with her hand.

The portal had taken them outside of the Temple, they were now standing in the long entrance hall of the Pink Palace. But their portal still glowed behind them. Connie flinched as a ball of what looked like lightning shot from the depths of their portal and collided with the ground next to her. Behind her, Lion whimpered.

A long chain stretched from Lion’s front paw to the portal, pulled taut. The bot was trying to come through their portal, the chain extending from one of its cannons to hold Lion in place while it struggled to fit its oblong, clunky bulk through the round portal.

Instinctively, she reached for her belt only to freeze when she encountered nothing. Right, she’d left her sword behind. She was weaponless. Powerless against this machine.

Her instincts kicked in and she dove to the side as the bot fired again, the ball of flame passing close enough to Connie’s head that she smelled burning hair. Steven yelped. Lion turned his head, staring at her with his wide, black eyes. His chained paw tugged at its restraint but he could not shake it free. They were stuck, at the mercy of this insane guard bot.

There had to be something they could do. Anything. Connie’s mind was racing with plans but most of them involved her having a weapon of some kind. The bot spun its cannons again, trying to twist its body free of the portal. Lion whimpered again, drawing Connie’s attention back to him. He was still staring at her unblinkingly, as if he wanted to say something important. “Can you help us?” Connie begged him.

The beast was still for a moment, no form of expression on his face at all. Abruptly, his eyes began to glow, even brighter than they had when he’d made their portal. He knelt before Connie, his mane glowing and flowing in a non-existent breeze as he presented his forehead to her. From his back, Steven gasped in awe.

The air around his head shimmered with a distinct breath of magic and something large winked into existence. Connie took hold of it, her hands molding to the familiar shape easily. She stepped back and pulled, slowly extracting a long, magnificent blade from the center of Lion’s forehead. When she had it free, it was over four feet long and felt as heavy as she was.

Connie stared at it in disbelief, struggling to keep it held aloft. “You have a SWORD in your head?” She said to the Lion, who stared at her innocently. “That would have been nice to know…” Gripping the pommel securely in one hand and Lion’s mane in the other, she swung the blade at the chain. The sword bit through the metal as if it were butter. Released from the tension, Lion and Steven fell backward, away from the struggling battle bot. The portal closed, sealing the bot back inside the temple and sending the freed rebels tumbling down the hall.

Lion’s claws scrabbled harshly along the stone of the entrance hall. They skidded right out of the open front doors, tumbling down the steps and into the sandy courtyard. Connie found herself rolling on the sand. She really was getting quite sick of these impromptu landings…

Groaning, she sat up, assessing the scene. It was starting to get dark. Several of the Guards and Trainees were mingling in the courtyard, staring in bewilderment. Lion was shaking his head and sitting up halfway across the courtyard, sneezing.

Steven was only a few feet to her right, sprawled on his front but apparently unharmed. He smiled at her, slowly standing up. Connie smiled back. Then she noticed his hands were empty.

The pillow sat on the sand between them.

Her smile melted away. “Oh no…”

The ground under the pillow began to swell, sand moving towards the artifact of its own accord. Steven started as the ground under him began to lift and twist.

“Oh Great Light Goddess…”

Connie dashed forward, dragging the massive sword with her but a wall of sand suddenly burst upwards in front of her, halting her in her tracks. Several of the Gems were shouting in confusion:

“What the…?”

“What the heck is that?”

“How did it get out of the basement?”

“Quickly! We have to stop it from sealing itself off!”

“Amethyst! Why is that thing out of the Temple?!”

“Ehh? No idea. Not my fault this time.”

Connie barely heard any of them. Her eyes were fixed on Steven.

The Desert Glass was manipulating the entire sandy floor of the courtyard, pulling all of the earth towards it and reshaping it. The pillow wasn’t just making walls, it was making structures. Archways and columns rose from the sand, staircases that lead nowhere and great turrets in the middle of it all. It would have been a mesmerizing display of magic in any other circumstance: complete mastery over every particle of earth and shaping them all so precisely as to both build and demolish at will. There was only one flaw in this design: Steven was caught in the middle of it. And he wasn’t climbing out. He was climbing up, further into the mess of architecture.

“Steven!” Connie heard her own voice, joined by at least three others. She swung the sword mightily, slashing through the wall holding her back. As it crumbled to sand, she moved forward, dodging and weaving through new obstacles as they came. She fought her way forward with the aid of the sword.

Occasionally, she caught sight of other Gems in the mess of whirling sand. The Captain punched right through walls with her gauntlets, Pearl danced around new columns and Amethyst plowed right through them by rolling herself into a ball and charging. But they were making no headway. The Desert Glass seemed to know where they were and deliberately threw up obstacles to trap them.

Sand was spinning through the courtyard, rendering visibility very low. Connie sliced through a column, running forward to avoid the hail of sand as it crumbled.

She landed on even ground, whirling to try to catch a glimpse of the prince. Nothing, just more columns and arches and…spikes. The ground around her was swelling, like a great beast was trying to claw its way out. The earth around her began to rise into sharp spikes, the sand forming dangerous-looking points. Before she could even think of reacting, someone roughly grabbed the back of her tunic and hauled her away.

“Careful human!” Blue Topaz snarled, throwing her clear of the spikes. “This isn’t an ordinary Gem artifact!”

Connie skidded across the ground on her butt, the sword landing on the dirt beside her.

“Leave this to the Gems!” Blue Topaz advised her. She swung her baton faster than Connie thought possible, whacking clean through two columns in one strike.

Connie rose, gripping the heavy sword in both hands. She knew she shouldn’t be here. This was a job for the Guards, for Gems who had knowledge of these artifacts and could summon weapons to deal with them. Like Garnet who was pulverizing wall after wall, her face screwed up in fierce concentration. Or Agate who was alternating between slicing through columns with her axe and hurling magic through arches. This is what they were made for.

But she was already here in the thick of it. And Steven was all alone up there. He needed her.

The sands shifted, revealing Steven crawling along a high beam, heading for the whirling epicenter of the storm.

“Steven!” Connie ran forward, dodging around the spike field where Blue Topaz was trying to clear a path through the spikes for Aquamarine. A staircase climbed halfway up the central spire where Steven clung to a column. Connie took it two steps at a time, calculating a jump towards the spire.

But just as she was about to jump, Amethyst’s voice cut through the silence: “Human! What are you doing?”

Connie hesitated, just for a moment. The staircase crumbled under her. Something whipped past her face, smacking painfully against her head.

“No! Nooo!” She scrabbled for a hold under her but met nothing but unsteady sand. She fell.

“Ahhh!!!”

Something pink darted into her vision and she fell upon something soft.

“Lion!” He had caught her mid-air, letting her straddle his back. She didn’t know where he had come from, and quite honestly, right now she didn’t care. The beast jumped down to the ground and skidded to a halt, gaze fixated on Steven, who was nearing the apex of the pyramid. His eyes narrowed towards the pillow at the center of the mayhem and he growled. Connie gripped the sword tightly. “Let’s go.”

Lion charged, roaring at obstacles. The very shockwaves from his vocalizations seemed to stop the spread of the sand or at least slow its progress.

Connie caught sight of Beryl, the Guard swinging her scythe freely at the structures. She twirled the scythe’s handle around her neck, lopping off the keystone of an arch. With one, well-practiced slice, she sent a column careening over. Its fall was halted halfway from the ground by an emerging wall.

Beryl turned and caught sight of Connie and Lion. She nodded curtly, gesturing them forward with her scythe. Connie dug her heels into Lion’s side, the beast running for the new bridge the Gem had created for them.

Beryl covered their ascent, slicing through columns and kicking back walls that tried to form.

Lion crested the pyramid, roaring at the new pillars the Glass tried to erect. A wall rose quickly from the remains. Lion huffed at Connie and she understood immediately.

Connie threw the heavy sword with all her might. The pink blade careened into the sand wall, smashing it to pieces. Lion cleared the jump easily and raced towards where the Prince was still clambering towards the pillow.

“Steven!”

Lion jumped, pushing off of a crumbling pillar and racing up a newly formed set of stairs. Connie gripped his back tightly with her knees as his body flexed and rolled like a wave under her. Her left hand fastened itself in a secure grip in Lion’s thick mane, her right swung free groping for the prince. Steven was nearly at the pillow now, barely dodging spikes of earth it was raising against him.

Lion roared, sending a shockwave through the pillars in front of them, causing them to crumble. He jumped on their disintegrating forms, and then leapt towards Steven. The sands began to close around them. But Connie only had eyes for the prince.

“Steven!” Connie stretched her body out completely and managed to just barely snatch the Prince from the air. Lion charged mightily, right towards the sandy walls. Connie pulled Steven closer to her, feeling something soft press in the space between them. Lion smashed into the wall, which crumbled into bits at his assault, sending his riders flying through the air, clinging to each other. Connie was horribly disoriented, trying her best to position herself so that she would take the brunt of the Prince’s weight as they fell but she couldn’t even tell which way was up…

As the ground rushed up at them, a soft pink light filled her vision, and all sound and motion seemed to mute. Gravity caught up to them and they fell but upon something that felt light as a cloud and gave slightly under their weight like a mattress.

Connie shook her head as she sat up.

A large pink bubble surrounded them, holding firm as bits of the Desert Glass’ structure crumbled and fell all around them.

“Whoa!!” Steven grinned widely, his eyes shining like stars. “I didn’t know I could do that!” A column keeled over and smashed against the bubble, sand raining down the sturdy sides of their protection.

Connie couldn’t help herself, she laughed. Not a small chuckle, but a full-blown, breathless laugh like she hadn’t laughed in almost a year. Steven took one look at her and then joined her, clutching his belly.

“Close one, huh?” Connie said, pausing for breath.

Steven nodded. “Yup. Good thing you were there to catch me!”

Connie chuckled and gently extracted herself from him. “Good thing you had this bubble.” She poked experimentally at it. It felt, inexplicably, like flexible glass.

“Yeah…uh…” He examined the pink walls. “How to make it go away…?” He closed his eyes and screwed up his forehead, concentrating fiercely. Nothing happened. “Uhhh…” He slapped his belly, right over his gem. “…it doesn’t seem to want to go away…”

“Oh…” Connie glanced around, catching sight of Lion crouched not too far away, staring at them and flicking his tail. She vaguely wished she had the sword again.

She glanced down and recoiled. The pillow was laying between them in the bubble. But with the pink barrier between it and the sand, it seemed that the ancient object was powerless to reform its fortress. All around them, the structures it had formed were slowly falling apart and returning to sand under their feet. For the time being however, the air was thick with sand and dust, giving them the impression of being alone in a desolate landscape.

Sighing in relief, Connie picked up the Desert Glass. “Who would have guessed this thing could cause so much trouble…” She handed it to the prince.

Steven sat back against the edge of his bubble, the pillow cradled in his lap. “Yeah. I see why the Gems want to keep it in the Temple…it could tear the town apart.”

Steven’s face crumpled suddenly in concern. “Connie…you’re hurt.” He reached out and gently pressed his fingers to the side of her forehead. Connie winced, the touch stinging unexpectedly. Steven’s fingers came away bloody.

“Oh no!”

He went to tear his tunic but Connie brushed his hands away gently. “It’s just a scratch, Steven. I’ll be okay.” It certainly felt a lot better than some of the wounds she got training. A little healing salve and she’d be fine.

Her hand caught his as he went to dab at the wound again. “Thank you for saving me…Steven.”

Her prince met her gaze, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. “Th…thank you for catching me.” Their eyes met, nearly identical gentle smiles on their faces.

The bubble popped without warning, sand pouring all over them. Steven held the pillow high above him, keeping it clear of the ground.

“STEVEN!!!!!”

The Commander rushed towards them, her spear dissipating as she skidded across the sand. She crashed into the prince, wrapping him up in a tight hug.

“Are you alright? Don’t you ever do anything like that again!”

She completely ignored Connie, who took the opportunity to extract herself from the sand and slip off to the side. She would have tried to make a break for it had she not caught sight of the Captain striding determinedly towards her. Her feet froze to the ground and she stood at attention, waiting.  
Amethyst wasn’t far behind the Captain, peering at Connie interestedly. Most of the other Guards and Trainees were extracting themselves from the sands, shaking their heads in disorientation. Beryl, Blue Topaz, and Agate were waiting together a little ways off, watching with varying degrees of interest.

Pearl was still ridiculing Steven but she seemed to have shifted topics slightly. “…and falling from that height with only Rose’s bubble to protect you!……wait…” She grabbed Steven by the shoulders, lifting him clean off the ground as if looking for something. “Rose’s bubble. Steven…” Her eyes watered. “Rose’s bubble! You summoned Rose’s bubble!”

Steven’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! I did!”

Amethyst sauntered in, grinning. “Yeah man!” She plucked the prince from Pearl’s arms, ignoring Pearl’s amazed stuttering. The purple gem tossed Steven in celebration. “That was great!” Steven laughed as Amethyst caught him and tossed him again.

“Amethyst, be careful! We cant let that pillow touch the ground again!”

Connie felt herself smile as she looked on. The prince had finally begun to unlock the powers in his gem. He did indeed have his mother’s magic. Her smile slipped slightly. He was a Gem after all.

“Trainee Connie.”

Connie stiffened, her heart quietly slowing its mad race as dread pooled in her stomach. The gash on her face dripped slowly. The soft voice of the Captain had silenced everyone in the courtyard. All eyes turned to her. Connie tried hard not to tremble.

The Captain adjusted her shades, the tiniest of smiles curling her lips.

“Well done.”

Connie’s eyes widened in surprise. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Commander’s gaze flicking interestedly between her and Captain Garnet.

The Captain took the Desert Glass pillow from Steven’s hands and flicked her wrist. A crimson-colored bubble formed around it and the object floated innocently above her palm.

“…but in the future, wait for orders.”

Connie nodded in agreement.

The Captain called to the surrounding Gems. “Everyone! Clear out this courtyard! I want it looking like new within the hour! Not you.” She said as Connie moved to join the other Trainees. “You rest, Trainee. I think you’ve earned it.”

She turned away, taking the bubble with her. Connie watched as the Captain gently tapped the top of the bubble and it vanished into the air above her. Then the Captain went to join Pearl, Amethyst, and Steven, ushering them back towards the palace.

The prince was still cradled in Amethyst’s arms, gripping her hair as he was carried back into the palace. He didn’t look back.

Connie crossed the mounds of sand in the courtyard, ignoring the incredulous looks from her fellow Trainees as they set to work trying to shift the sand. She slid down the lee side of a dune, finally finding a space where someone wasn’t staring at her. She breathed a sigh of relief. Somehow, it had all turned out ok. Better than okay.

Connie felt something hit her foot as she walked through the sand, something that hummed with a familiar magic. Reaching down, she extracted the brilliant pink sword from underfoot. Heavy as it was, it felt right in her hand. “What am I going to do with you?” She wondered aloud, examining the sword closely. It was a beautiful weapon. Crafted from pink steel, the blade was perfectly straight and cut to a fine point that looked as sharp as she knew it was. The pommel had a large guard that was sturdy and rounded, meant for a hand much larger than hers. The graceful curve ended in a handle inlaid with delicate green rose vines and a small pink stone resting snugly in the hilt.

Connie jumped as something growled behind her, taking up a defensive position with the blade in her trembling hands. Steven’s Lion only stared at her, unfazed by her attack.

“Oh…” She lowered the sword, embarrassed by her jumpiness. “Sorry.”

Lion bumped her impatiently, huffing.

Realization dawned on Connie. “Oh!” She lifted the sword, holding it out to him. “This?”

Lion bowed, offering her access to his forehead. His mane flowed and started to glow.

Connie slowly slid the sword back into the beast’s mane, feeling it fall easily into the hidden pocket there. Lion shook himself gently and stared at her, something like gratitude in his eyes. Then he stretched languidly, yawned and walked away like nothing had happened.

  
***

The barracks were quiet when Connie arrived, as all the other Gems were currently shoveling sand outside.

She sat down on her bed with a sigh. After so many falls, her body ached all over. Rummaging in her bedside cabinet, she pulled out her healing kit, the one thing she had that no other Trainee needed. Carefully, she washed and bandaged her various scrapes and bruises, paying careful attention to the cut on her forehead. She was just finishing up when she heard a light tap on her window.

The prince was standing outside her window again, smiling widely.

Connie opened the latch and raised the window, her heart glowing. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Steven offered her a conspiring smile as he slipped her another badly wrapped package of what looked like rice. “Guess we’ll have to try the library another time, eh?” His face was still covered in scratches and burns from the afternoon’s adventures but his seemed to be halfway healed already.

Connie chuckled as she took his gift. “Maybe next time we just sneak in through the door?”

Steven grinned apologetically. “…yeah.” His face brightened. “Meet me by the entrance to the Guard’s room after dinner tomorrow! We can make our entrance then!”

Connie nodded. “Got it.”

“Good night!” Steven scampered away, racing across the dark fringes of the courtyard towards the light spilling from the palace windows. Connie watched him go, smiling.

So much had happened today, it refused to orient itself in her mind. Between Jade’s cryptic observations, their adventures in the temple, all those murals, and the havoc of the Desert Glass…

Placing the bundle of rice on her table, Connie flopped on her bed, throwing her arm over her eyes. Images danced behind her closed eyes: the room with reversed gravity, the waterfalls, the endless pipe, Queen Rose’s imposing figure guarding the humans of her kingdom, her hands sparkling with mica…

Connie sat up, blinking hard. The mica from the mural…the trail had looked exactly like…

Throwing her legs out of bed, Connie raced to the window, still open from Steven’s visit. She looked towards the night sky, lit with a brilliant array of stars. Her revelation escaped her in a quiet breath. “the comet…”

The hidden figure in the mural came to mind, their form surrounded by glowing pieces of mica making them visible only when the light was upon them…  
Connie swallowed hard, pulling the glow stone out of her belt pouch. It shimmered in her hand, pulsing softly with pure white light. She had to find out what that mural was showing.

Maybe there was a legend they were all forgetting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UGHHH. Sorry. I really have a problem with writing chapters that are just far to friggen long. There was just too much I wanted to cover in this chapter and the new episodes had me going back to the drawing board for future chapters so...  
> What I'm trying to get at is this: hopefully chapter 6 will be up much sooner than this one was. 
> 
> Thank you so much for all the comments and kudos!!


	6. Education Pains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahaaha. SO remember that thing I said about the next chapter being up sooner? Ha. Hilarious.  
> Also a HUGE thanks to CinnamonPearl517 for being the best beta ever!

Steven awoke just before dawn. 

“Good morning!” He said to no one in particular. The prince stretched languidly then dressed in a hurry and burst out of his room to begin his morning. He’d actually woken up early today which meant he had some free time before lessons.

Flying down the stairs from his chambers, Prince Steven tried to decide what he wanted to do with his extra time today. Maybe he could go to the pastry shop and get Lars to teach him how to make a turnover? Or he could go down to the gates and talk to Mr. Smiley? The day was full of possibilities, so long as he avoided Aquamarine for his lessons.

He reached the bottom of the stairs, still contemplating his course of action when the sight of two Gems down the hall distracted him. It was Cymophane and Turquoise, the Twin Trainee Gems. They were huddled together, muttered angrily to each other.

“Good morning!” Steven called to them, making the Twin Gems jump. “Trainee Turquoise. Trainee Cymophane.” Steven greeted them as they spun to face him.

The Twins were notorious among the Guards and Trainees for their bickering. Both were slim Gems with large chests and square-shaped heads. It would have been hard to tell them apart if their colors had not been so distinct.

Turquoise was the same rich color as her name with hints of black along her arms, waist, and along her neck. By contrast, her sister Cymophane was an opalescent yellow with similar hints of black except for the explosive gray highlights under her eyes. Where Turquoise kept her long black hair pulled back in a high ponytail, Cymophane’s gray locks were swept dramatically to the side, leaving half her head bare. 

“My Prince…” Cymophane began, bowing low and reverently. “You are just in time to settle something. May I ask you a question?”

Steven shrugged. “Sure.”

Cymophane’s eyes lit up. “What kind of situation would be more troubling?” She inquired, holding up two fingers. “One where you know someone very well as a person but don’t know their intentions or one where you don’t know someone at all but you know what their intentions are?”

Turquoise rolled her eyes. “Oh please, Prince Steven does not need to be bothered by your insane hypotheticals…we don’t have time for this…” She tried to drag her twin away but Cymophane was having none of it.

“I just want to know his answer!” She protested.

Steven thought for a moment, his chin in his hand. “Are their intentions bad?” He asked innocently. 

Cymophane paused, as if the thought had not occurred to her. “It doesn’t matter.” She replied, waving his question away. 

“It kinda does…” Steven pointed out. “If I know that their intentions are bad but don’t know them, then I think that I would find that situation worse. But if I don’t know if their intentions are good or bad and I don’t know them, how am I supposed to judge? What if their intentions seem good to them and bad to me? How can I make that distinction?”

“You see?’ Turquoise said triumphantly as Cymophane blinked in surprise, contemplating Steven’s answer. “It’s a senseless question. Now let’s leave the Prince alone…”

“It is not senseless!” Cymophane protested, nearly whining. “It just needs some context!”

“Why are you two always fighting?” Steven asked before their argument could escalate (as they often did).

The two of them rounded on him, speaking over each other in unison. “Because she’s impossible!”

“She’s always asking these unusual questions!” Turquoise complained, glaring at her sister.

Cymophane rolled her eyes. “She’s too concerned with saving time!”

Steven cocked his head as something occurred to him. “Aren’t you two late for training?”

Turquoise’s eyes widened in shock. “Oh shoot! I knew it!”

“Relax, Turq.” Cymophane said, exasperated. “It’s not like they’ll start without us.”

“No but the Commander will still punish us for tardiness, let’s go!”

They dashed off, shoving each other as they raced down the hallway on their way to the training ground. Steven ran after them, his short legs struggling to keep up. As Turquoise and Cymophane crashed through the doors to the courtyard, Steven turned right and up a flight of stairs towards the writing room.

He often had lessons in here with Pearl but he had discovered a few weeks prior that the double windows provided a great vantage point over the Guard’s courtyard. Steven settled himself on the windowsill, leaning his chin in his arms. No one would find him here; the last place Aquamarine would think to look for the missing prince was in the classroom he so despised. Steven had often watched the trainings when he could escape from lessons. Pearl had yet to let him know when he’d be permitted to join in combat. He kept asking.

The trainees had all assembled in their traditional lines in the reconstructed courtyard, even Turquoise and Cymophane who looked a little ruffled. The compacted dirt floor of the sparring courtyard had been smoothed over after the Desert Glass incident of two weeks ago so that not a lump remained from the object’s construct. 

Pearl stood opposite the line of trainees, her head held high as she observed their line. Amethyst was leaning against the wall of the palace, watching the training disinterestedly. To Steven’s surprise, Guard Carnelian had also joined the group today. A large warrior, the red Gem was completely nonverbal. Steven had never heard her speak once. He also rarely saw her outside of the Palace armory, where she spent days on end polishing, cataloging, and caring for the weapons and gear of the Guards and Quartz Infantry. Like the stone at her throat, her body was smooth all over and rounded into muscle groups on her arms and thighs. Her head was a strange oval shape, made all the more strange by its beautiful burnt umber and orange pattern and her translucent eyes. She had a long mane of red hair that fell almost to her knees. Unlike the other Guards who typically chose clothing patterns on their forms, Carnelian preferred Garnet’s style – dressing always in thick battle armor. The silent Gem was standing just off to the side, watching as Pearl walked down the line of trainees. Steven turned his head to hear better.

“As a Gem, one of the most integral moments in your training is the moment you first summon your weapon.” Pearl paced in front of her trainees, hands folded behind her back. “Weapons are unique to each Gem and they will become your first resort and best asset in the middle of any fight you enter. If you cannot summon a weapon during the pivotal moment of a battle, you may as well be shattered.” Pearl paused, glaring down her line of students. “Now…watch carefully. To summon your weapon, it will take you dedication, practice, and determination!”

The gem on her forehead began to glow and Pearl grew still. She held her hands up to her forehead, cupping the stone and closing her eyes. There was a momentary burst of light and something long and thin erupted from the stone to take form in the air above the Commander’s head. Without even glancing at it, Pearl snatched it from the air and swung it in a wide arc. The weapon was an impressive and elegant curved spear, the perfect length for Pearl to use in combat.

Steven heard Amethyst huff in boredom but he was entranced. He loved watching the Gems summon their weapons. “Remember,” Pearl told her awed trainees as she spun the weapon in a complex and beautiful spiral. “This process varies widely between Gems, both in weapon type and summoning effort. Guard Carnelian will demonstrate.”

Carnelian bowed her head towards Pearl, not saying a word as she took her place in front of the trainees. Her Gem began to pulse at the hollow of her throat and without any visible flourish or effort, she snatched the handle of her flail from the center of it and whipped out the spiked head of her weapon. Smirking, she twirled the ball menacingly on its chain. While they were all focused on that, she summoned another identical flail from her gem and spun it in tandem.

“Thank you Guard Carnelian.” Pearl cut in, coming back into the lesson. Carnelian tossed her flails in the air, made them vanish with a snap of her fingers and gave Pearl a curt, respectful nod. She stepped back to the sidelines.

“Now,” Pearl continued, “the best way to discover your weapon and be prepared to handle it is by mastering several different combat styles and applying them. We’ve been working on the sword for a while, let’s see how we’re doing.” Her eyes roamed the line. “Trainee Tourmaline!” 

The Gem stiffened and made the salute, her hands at her navel. “Yes Commander!”

“Step forward.”

Tourmaline obeyed, still standing at attention.

Pearl glanced down the line once more. “You will spar with…Trainee Connie.”

Steven focused his gaze on his friend, who looked shaken at being called but determined nonetheless. 

Connie stepped forward, saluting and remaining at attention, but Steven could see her hand twitching. Some of the other trainees whispered to each other.

“Alright trainees, take your position.” Pearl instructed, cutting off the side chatter. 

Connie and Tourmaline faced each other, the other Trainees stepping to the sidelines to watch. Tourmaline picked a sword off of the weapon’s rack and held it in both hands, facing Connie. Connie drew her sword from her belt. 

Tourmaline was easily the largest of the trainees, nearly three times Connie’s size. Her form was muscular and bulky but that wasn’t what made her stand out. Instead, it was the stunning colors of her form. Her gem was under her chin, nearly invisible when one was looking at her head on. But when you did catch a glimpse of it, the smooth facets highlighted abrupt changes from shocking pink to a milky white to lime green. Her surrounding form echoed this. Her chest and back were deep pink, and stripes of white ran down her arms and clothes. Her face, hands and feet were lime green. She stared Connie down, her face lacking any kind of empathy or trepidation. She almost looked annoyed. 

Pearl raised her arm. “Ready…begin!”

Tourmaline struck first, Connie just barely managing to get her sword up to block. Her arm trembled with the force of holding back the Gem’s attack. The Gem pulled back, swinging her blade. Connie jumped backwards out of range, but Tourmaline was bearing down on her relentlessly. The exchange continued much the same: Tourmaline attacking, Connie barely able to fend her off. Their blades clanged as they took measured steps. Sweat poured from Connie’s brow as she made a false swing at Tourmaline then ducked under the Gem’s attack. She had clearly maneuvered so to give herself a brief respite. Tourmaline was quick to engage her again though. Their blades collided, pressing each other. Connie had her feet set wide, her guard high whilst the Gem had the advantage of both height and strength. 

Connie’s block slipped. 

Without hesitating, Tourmaline slammed the hilt of her sword onto Connie’s shoulder. Connie’s knees buckled and she felt in the dirt with a strangled cry. 

Steven nearly shouted for her before remembering he was not supposed to be watching. He bit his lip.

Connie’s whole body was shaking uncontrollably but she appeared to be trying to stand up. She managed to get one foot on the ground before Tourmaline kicked her, sending her sprawling on her front again. 

“Look at you.” Tourmaline snarled, loud enough that Steven could hear. “You’re weak. You have learned nothing since we began.” She leaned forward and said something that Steven could not make out but that made Connie flinch.

“Enough!” Pearl snapped. Tourmaline fell silent immediately. “Trainee…” Pearl began, her voice laced with fury. “You do not speak to a human like that. Have you forgotten the oaths you took upon beginning your training?”

Tourmaline looked chastened, bowing her head. “No, Commander.”

“The humans are our partners and our comrades, we treat them with respect.” Pearl said, turning now to address everyone. “Even though they cannot hope to match us in combat, magic feats, or longevity, they do share this planet with us. And we have to make the best of it.” She pointed towards Connie who was still on her hands and knees, breathing deeply. “Trainee Connie is here on the merit of the Captain’s assessment. She remains until she fails.”

Steven saw Connie’s fists clench in the dirt. 

Pearl didn’t notice. “The fact that she is human doesn’t mean she is less than any of us…”

“Lay off, P.” 

Everyone’s heads snapped around as Amethyst spoke. 

“Amethyst?” Pearl asked, sounding shocked that the smaller Gem was interrupting her.

The purple Gem stood beside Connie as the girl slowly rose to her feet, her eyes down. “Tourmaline snapped, it happens to all of us.” Amethyst said. “And the human just needs some more time.” Everyone looked at Connie, who was flushed and drenched in sweat but staring determinedly forward, her eyes stubbornly clear. “She hasn’t failed yet.”

Pearl was silent, exchanging a brief glance with Carnelian. Amethyst turned to Tourmaline. “And Tourmaline, you could do with some refreshers yourself; you were leaving yourself wide open on most of your attacks. I think you need to go back to lesson one and review your stances.”

Amethyst turned away, as if to signal that the lesson was over. 

Tourmaline however, was not done. “What does the off-worlder know?” She growled. 

Amethyst bristled, even her hair flaring. In less time than it took to blink, her whip was in her hand. “Whaddid you say, trainee?”

Before anyone could respond, Carnelian stepped between Amethyst and Tourmaline. She didn’t summon her weapon, she didn’t say a word, she didn’t even glare. Just her presence was enough to make both Gems back down. Amethyst made her whip dissipate and turned sharply on her heel, marching away from the group with a thundercloud hovering over her. 

“R…right.” Pearl said, trying to take charge again. She rounded on Tourmaline. “Trainee, I don’t know what has gotten into you today but that was uncalled for. Your punishment will be to assist Guard Carnelian with Infantry gear care for the next two evenings. Understood?”

Tourmaline looked angry but didn’t lash out. “Yes ma’am.” She grumbled. 

“All of you,” Pearl continued, addressing all of the Trainees now. “Get a move on. Jade is waiting with your translation lessons. 

As the Trainees saluted and headed for their lessons, Steven ran to meet Amethyst, catching up to her in the entrance hall.

“Amethyst!”

The purple Gem was still scowling, but she lightened up slightly when she saw him. “Not now, little man.” She said to him, her voice uncharacteristically somber.

He launched himself at her anyway, engulfing her in a tight hug because he knew hugs made everything better. She chuckled before throwing him into the air.

“Amethyst!” Steven wriggled as he began to fall but as always, she was there to catch him. “Put me down,” he chastised her as she tossed him again. “I need to go talk to Connie!”

“Huh?”

“The human trainee,” Steven clarified as Amethyst finally put him down, remembering that his friendship with Connie was still a secret. 

The Gem patted his head. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea buddy,” Amethyst told him. “That was a pretty hard loss. I don’t think she wants a visit from her prince right now.”

Steven pouted. “But I can talk to her! Let her know that it’s okay to fail once in awhile! I do it all the time!”

Amethyst chuckled but it didn’t seem at all happy. “Yeah…I’m sure that’s exactly what she wants to hear right now…”

“So I’ll go talk to her!” Steven started towards the door, only to feel Amethyst grab him by the back of his tunic and pull him back.

“Look Steven,” the Gem began, “Trainee Connie just needs someone who can relate to the fact that she’s a human among Gems… and… you’re not entirely human.” Amethyst patted him on the shoulder. “She needs someone like her. Let her be for now.” The purple Gem walked away.

Steven frowned. Okay, maybe he wasn’t completely human. But he knew plenty of people that were. And he had the perfect candidate in mind.

***

Pearl lingered behind after the training debacle, polishing the weapons racks several times and sharpening all the swords to razor-fine edges. She didn’t need to; she should have assigned a trainee or a palace servant to do it, but sometimes, she just needed to fix things herself. It was an urge she’d never quite unlearned, even after all these years on Earth. While she worked, she muttered to herself. 

She wouldn’t admit it aloud, but Connie’s failure weighed heavily on her. Not just on her ability as an instructor; no she’d had far too many successes to let this little failure deflate her ego. Rather, her worry stemmed not from concern for her methods but concern for the girl. Connie had always performed exceptionally in private sessions with her. She’d learned at an astounding rate for a human, flying through the levels of Pearl’s hologram training with relative ease. Whenever she was down, she stood right back up. Pearl had watched her fight through injury and barrages of attacks, holding her sword until she collapsed from fatigue.

Pearl’s frown deepened and she doubled her efforts on the brass in front of her. 

So why hadn’t the human fought harder today?

“Stop that, Pearl.” To her surprise, those words had not come out of her own mouth. Her concentration shattered, the Commander leapt about a foot in the air, the polishing rag flying out of her grip. 

“G…Garnet!” The captain stood beside her, looking like she had been watching her for awhile.

Pearl scuffed her foot against the ground. “Stop what? I wasn’t doing anything…” 

Garnet saw right through it instantly. “You were reverting.” she said, placing a gentle hand on Pearl’s shoulder. “You need to let me know when you feel like this.”

Pearl folded her arms around herself, looking small and pathetic. “I never realize it’s happening,” she half-lied. “Sometimes I just…fall into it.”

Garnet nodded. “Because of your concern about the human.”

“What?” Pearl squawked, her hands covering her mouth at the undignified sound. “I…I…of course not! You know me, I just like things clean and orderly!”

Garnet continued, ignoring Pearl’s protests. “You were too rough on her and it bothers you.”

“I…well…of course it bothers me!” Pearl threw up her hands in exasperation. “I know she is better than that! In training with me, she’s displayed far superior combat skills than the terrible display she put on in the courtyard!”

“But she’s never had to fight another Gem before.” Garnet pointed out.

“So?”

“So I imagine she felt the same way you did the first time you fought Sugilite.”

Pearl was silent, chastened by Garnet’s words. The comparison was far too accurate. She folded her hands around herself again. 

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m not the one you should apologize to,” Garnet reminded her. Pearl had known that was coming. She bit her lip.

“Give her time.” Garnet advised, walking away. “She will improve.”

“How much time?” Pearl shouted after her.

The Captain paused and turned halfway back, smirking.

“She’ll let you know.”

***

Connie shook her head frantically, trying desperately to rattle some sense into her tired bones. It was nearly sunset, but she had too much to do to think about going home. Plus, she wasn’t letting this chance slip away.

She sat alone at a table in the middle of the Palace library. And no one questioned it. She nearly giggled with glee but her mood still had a bit of a damper on it. Connie pulled her book on weather patterns closer and set to work memorizing cloud shapes, entering some of the more advanced data into her logger for future reference. 

Jade had unexpectedly announced last week that in the future, they would all be expected to consult the Palace library for references, especially in regard to Scripture lessons. Connie had since then taken every opportunity to slip into the stacks and peruse the endless shelves of knowledge. The homework excuse was one no one would question. She hadn’t realized how much she missed books until she was among them again. Back home in her village, she’d owned several dozen books, the most outside of the village school. But she’d had to leave them all behind upon signing up for her training. The only one she’d been able to smuggle along was her dog-eared and weathered copy of _The Legend of Maliayi_ : stories of her favorite Keralaite Goddess. But now that she had seen the Palace library, she didn’t think she’d ever be able to go back to re-reading just one book.

This library had everything: enormous leather-bound copies of the Scriptures in every language, books on every science known to the Gems, tiny paperbacks of magic, records of ancient battles… The topics never ended. 

On the first night she’d been allowed access, Jade had had to kick her out just before curfew, smirking knowingly as Connie reluctantly returned the pile of books she had taken off the shelves. They had made somewhat of a habit of this, as the scholar was charged with looking after the library and often sat near the entryway when not engaged in her own work. Tonight however, Connie was far enough from the door that she couldn’t tell if the small Gem was there or not. She hoped not. It may give her some extra time to prepare. 

“Hello, Trainee Connie.”

Connie looked up, startled, and found herself staring at Amber. She bowed her head slightly in greeting. “Trainee Amber,” she acknowledged her. 

Amber was the smallest of the Trainees, practically the same size as Connie herself. She was wiry and flexible like Pearl, but far less graceful in battle. The form she had chosen accentuated her small stature, with the gem at the center of her throat appearing larger than her hands and feet. Her skin was the same rich golden-brown color as her Gemstone, and her hair was several shades lighter. Her eyes were round and full, dwarfing her face if she looked even the slightest bit surprised. Connie had never found a reason to dislike Amber — she was quiet and generally kept to herself — but then again, the Gem had never made an effort to speak to her when she didn’t have to. 

“What are you reading?” Amber asked, peering at the book Connie was studying. These were more words than the Gem had ever spoken to her at one time.

Connie glanced down at the diagrams of wind cycles and winced. “I’m preparing for our first field mission,” she replied. Fully expecting Amber to laugh at her for over-preparing, she was surprised instead to see a look of panic spread across the Gem’s face. 

“Really? Were we supposed to do something for Guard Aquamarine?” Amber wrung her hands. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

Connie rushed to reassure her. “No, no Amber. Aquamarine didn’t assign this…” Connie sighed. “I just…have to be prepared.”

Amber cocked her head, confused. “Why’s that?”

In answer, Connie just rubbed her arm. Her completely human arm. Several goosebumps rose on her flesh.

“Oh!” Amber said, realization dawning on her. “So you’re just…? Oh okay.” She turned away, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “Okay, sorry. I’ll…” She cleared her throat. “I’ll leave you alone then.”

Her face burning, Connie lowered her head back to her book. She didn’t know why they found simple human functions so embarrassing. The first time she’d shivered, they’d all reacted like she was stripping naked in public. She made a mental note to ask Steven if it was like this for him as well. For some reason, Amber’s attempted act of peace didn’t make Connie feel any better. Despite their apparent similarities, one glaring obstacle stood between them becoming comrades: Amber was a Gem. Despite her size and trepidation about battle, no one had ever sneered at her or told her that she was unfit to be here.

Connie looked up and realized Amber was still standing next to her, staring at her. The small Gem jumped when Connie looked at her. “Um…actually?”

“Yes, Amber?” Connie asked, trying not to sound mad. It wasn’t Amber’s fault the deck was stacked against her.

“Do… do you think you could…? Um… maybe…” The Gem squeezed her eyes shut, tensing. “Couldyouhelpmewithtranslations?” 

Connie blinked. “Um…what?”

Amber blushed, her brown-gold skin darkening. “I… I’m having trouble with the Hokatu recordings that Jade assigned,” the small Gem admitted. “Y… you actually speak Hokatu, right?”

Connie only nodded. Amber looked relieved. “Great! So… so you will?”

Connie nodded again. Amber’s face split into a wide grin. “Great! Uhh… let’s talk after the field mission! Thank you Trainee Con…Connie.” 

Amber scampered off, her long limbs wind-milling as she ran. Connie watched her go, biting her bottom lip. Had she actually just…?

_“Cooonnnnniiieee!”_

A smile tugged at her lips when she heard the familiar voice behind her. Connie raised her analysis of far eastern weather patterns in front of her face, obscuring her mouth from any nearby Gems. “My Prince…how many times do I have to tell you, you don’t have to whisper like that?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him grin sheepishly. “Right! Sorry!” He wandered over to the shelf beside her and began humming tunelessly to himself.

Connie listened intently, but her eyes remained on her book. She sorted through her rusty mental index of musical notes as she listened, four years of playing the stringed Pulluvarkkudam instrument finally proving useful.

_E…C#...G…E…D…A…D…F…_

Steven abruptly stopped whistling, selected his book, and left the library, skipping away. Connie frowned as he left. Ever since their close call in the Temple with Pearl (and since Steven had far less awareness for nearby Gems than she did), Connie had discussed developing a secret code that they could use in plain sight. Steven was ecstatic. After Connie told him the story of how she learned musical notation, he’d been the one to suggest the whistle code. Gems knew music but usually reserved its use for the festivals and holidays of Castle City. Steven loved music, so it would not be unusual for him to whistle, sing, chant, or hum throughout the day. And apparently, Connie’s every action was written off as human quirks by the Guards so she could get away with whistling or humming in many circumstances. 

Connie waited a moment, then closed her book and packed away her data logger. The first part of his code had been unmistakable: E, C#, G, E was their code for “ _meet in the Entrance Hall._ ” But D, A, D, F? He’d never used that code before…

She quickly returned her books on eastern terrain and climate to their proper places and hurried out of the library. Jade had not been at the desk after all. Connie wondered what she could be up to this late at night. She passed Cymophane and Turquoise in the hallway, the pair of them being uncharacteristically quiet. Connie frowned and glanced over her shoulder but didn’t stop. Turquoise met her gaze but quickly looked away. Cymophane refused to look at her. 

Connie’s stomach burned and the bruise on her shoulder pinged. Was her failure this morning going to haunt her for the rest of her time here? She already knew Tourmaline’s words would.

The knowledge that Pearl was just waiting for her to fail had stung but wasn’t completely surprising. Pearl was always putting her down during training, pushing her to see when she would fall. The thought that no one expected her to become a Guard, though? That was crushing. She had almost given up this morning. On all fours in the dirt, she had questioned every moment that had led to her defeat: accepting the Captain’s offer of training, leaving home and crossing the wastelands, spending hours upon hours training… the whole time, they had been waiting for her to fail. It was only thoughts of Steven that made her stand up again. He was the reason she needed to be here. She was to guard the prince. Her friend.

Connie jogged down the stairs, trying desperately to put thoughts of this morning out of her head. She didn’t need to burden Steven with that. Not when they had important sleuthing work to do. 

Her and Steven had been using the library semi-regularly in the evenings, whenever Connie could take a break from studying or Steven could slip away from Pearl’s watchful eye. Their attempts at research had been compounded by the fact that the best astronomy books in the library were all written in Old Hokatu characters — an ancient form of the language that was rarely used. Connie herself only spoke Hokatu and Steven had yet to enter language lessons with Jade, so the symbols could have been the ancient Gem language and they would have been just as useful. Undeterred, they’d sought out a Hokatu character dictionary which Connie had secreted away from the library and was attempting to study as best she could. In the meantime, Steven was searching through all the books they could find, scanning the star maps and old oil drawings for renderings of their celestial object or the figures on the Temple walls. They hadn’t found anything yet but their determination was unwavering. There was something to find there. They just needed to look more.

Connie entered the hall and almost immediately, a whistle sounded from her left.

_C…E…G… “Over here!”_

She turned around and was surprised to find Steven hiding behind a pillar, beckoning to her. He offered her no explanation for his summons, merely took her by the hand and pulled her deeper into the Palace. Several seconds later, Connie realized where he was taking her and tried to backpedal furiously.

“Steven!” She hissed. “I can’t go into the eastern wing!”

“Sure you can!” Steven assured her, tugging her along as he ducked behind the eastern stairs and into the long corridor. “Pearl and the others are all in the Temple; no one will catch us.”

Connie rolled her eyes but followed him. She’d long since given up trying to argue protocol with Steven. He always had some way around it. He didn’t always act like it, but he was a pretty good planner when he had to be.

Steven took Connie to a tall ornate door carved with several rose vines and what looked like musical notation. Lifting one of the large rosebud handles, he pushed open one of the doors and coaxed her inside.

“What are we doing?” she asked him as he pushed the door shut behind her. She really needed to start asking him that before their adventures went awry. This room looked harmless enough though: it was large and airy, filled with cushions and holoscreens. Long curtains partitioned off sections of the room as well as several floor-to-ceiling windows illuminated with the twilight outside. 

Steven’s eyes twinkled. “You’ll see.” He raised his voice and called to the room. “I’m back!”

Connie flinched, listening for movement. Instinct told her to hide but Steven held her hand tightly. 

A voice echoed from the back of the room. “That you, Steven? Did you bring her?” To her surprise, it wasn’t the voice of a Gem that answered. It was the voice of a man.  
Connie stared as the Lord Regent, the Esteemed Gregory the First parted one of the curtains and approached them. He smiled at her. “Hello. You must be Connie. Steven’s told me a lot about you.”

Snapping to attention, Connie quickly bowed as low as she could, almost bending herself in half. “Lord Regent,” she murmured. He was the highest ranked human in the entire kingdom. He was also Steven’s father.

“Whoa, don’t hurt yourself kid. Come on, stand up.”

Connie straightened up, peering at the Lord Regent in surprise. “My Lord?” 

“And please,” he continued, holding out his hand. “Drop the ‘lord’ stuff? It makes me uncomfortable.”

“But…a Trainee must always respect figures of authority…” Connie pointed out. 

The Lord Regent chuckled. “Well my title’s more… symbolic than anything else.” He grinned sheepishly. “Rose knew I’d never be any good at ruling, so she passed the succession to the Guards until Steven’s old enough.” He took her hand and gave it a firm shake. “Call me Gregory.”

Steven was grinning, clearly ecstatic. “This is my dad!” he informed Connie. 

“I’m sure she already knows that, pal.” Lord Gregory told his son with a conspiratorial grin. He winked at Connie. “After all, a Trainee knows all about the royal family.”

Connie gave him a more thorough once-over as they shook. 

The Lord Regent was an odd character by most accounts. He was well-liked by the people of Castle City and had a good, if somewhat subservient relationship with most of the Gems. 

He was a short, pot-bellied man with a scruffy beard and a bald head. Despite his polished crown though, he had a long mane of thick hair that cascaded from just behind his ears all the way down his back. He typically dressed in shorts and a tunic without a shirt underneath. He was also known for going barefoot often. Right now, he was dressed only in a long robe. 

He didn’t look like royalty, but Connie had no doubt he was the most genuine person she’d met since Steven. The story of his romance with Queen Rose was legendary, even among the Gems. According to some, the Queen had always liked humans (some Gems said too much) but one never held her interest for long. 

That is, until a minstrel from the South came to Castle City and stole the Queens heart with his songs. Lord Gregory had moved into the castle within a month and Queen Rose had arranged to marry him not three years after that. It had been an unprecedented move and it had not sat well with most of the royals. But nothing stopped Queen Rose once she’d made up her mind. And she’d made up her mind about Gregory long ago. The minstrel became a permanent fixture at the Queen’s side, attending many meetings and ceremonies as her right-hand man. He hardly ever offered strategic or economic opinions on matters of the kingdom, but he could be relied upon. 

Ever since the Queen’s transversal into Steven, the Lord Regent had become less of a presence in the castle. He was sometimes seen wandering through the halls or the city but mostly he kept to his wing of the castle, playing songs on his many instruments and singing to himself. 

Most of the Gems called him the Ghost of the Pink Palace. 

But to Connie, he seemed more like a jovial occupant than a lost soul. She decided she liked him.

“So what can I do for you kids?” Gregory asked, guiding them over towards a pile of pillows near one of the windows. “Steven just said he wanted me to meet his new friend.” 

“Uh…” Connie looked at Steven as she sat down. After all, she had no idea why they were here.

“We wanted to ask about mom.” Steven said bluntly. 

Gregory’s face contorted for a second, in a mixture of surprise and pain. But he quickly shoved that away. 

“Sure thing kiddo…what…” He swallowed hard, rubbing the back of his head. “What do you want to know?” He looked so much like Steven at that moment that Connie was momentarily taken aback.

Steven didn’t seem to notice his father’s discomfort. “Connie and I saw this odd mural in the Temple. In it, mom was protecting some humans with some kind of magic.”

“Well, Steven you know that your mom founded Castle City, right? She was always seen as the protector of humankind. That’s why they made her their Queen way back when.”

“Yeah but…we couldn’t place this mural in the legends we knew.” Connie put in. “I’ve studied the legends of the founding of the City, both with Jade and before I came to the Rose Kingdom. This one seemed…different. She was wielding some kind of multi-colored magic against a dark horde.”

Gregory shuddered. “I never really asked Rose much about magic…or the old days. It just seemed like a part of her I’d never understand.” He seemed distinctly uncomfortable discussing magical things. Connie wondered if he was like her: ungifted. 

“Rose was…” Gregory paused, trying to come up with the right words. “…enigmatic. But at the same time, she could be so down-to-Earth about the kingdom. I ended up mostly just not asking her about the 2000 years of her life before she met me. It didn’t seem important for us to have that between us. But she was always talking about things I could never understand…”

“Did she ever mention a comet?” Connie asked curiously. 

Gregory furrowed his brow. “no…I don’t think she ever talked about a comet…”

“What about a large figure?” Connie prodded. “Only visible in the light?”

Gregory’s eyebrows shot up. “Huh? You mean the Mitsukage?”

“The what?” Steven and Connie both spoke simultaneously. 

The Lord Regent nodded. “It’s an old proverb… a buddy of mine used to tell it all the time when we were on the road together. It was his favorite Hokatu legend…”

“Hokatu…” Connie thought back, trying to think of what she knew of the legends told by Hokatu merchants. She didn’t know many. Most of them were very long epics told with complex dances and song. “Do you know where he is now?” She asked.

“Hmmm?” Gregory thought for a moment. “Oh yeah, he hangs around the entertainment district a lot when he isn’t traveling. His name is Hajime. Last I heard, he was still in town.”

Steven and Connie shared a look. “Okay, well thanks dad!” Steven said, jumping up from the floor. “I’ve got to go, I’m sure Pearl’s looking for me and Connie has to report for curfew. But we’ll see you soon!” He tugged Connie by the hand.

The Lord Regent raised an eyebrow. “You kids aren’t doing anything dangerous, right?” He glanced between them and Connie felt her eyes deliberately slide away from his. 

“No sir.” She replied, as Steven seemed to be at a loss for words. “We’re just curious about the origins of some of the legends.”

Luckily, Gregory seemed to buy it. Or at least not question it. “Alright then. Just don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He turned to address the prince. “Steven, can I have a quick word with Trainee Connie?”

Steven beamed and nodded. He squeezed her hand and then stepped back, waiting by the door to give them some privacy.

Suddenly apprehensive, Connie reverted to standing at attention. “Yes sir?”

Gregory gave her a lopsided grin very much like his son’s. “Easy kid, it’s nothing bad.” Much like the prince, his attitude was infectious and Connie felt herself relax.

“I wanted to thank you for befriending Steven.” Gregory said, surprising Connie. “It’ll be good for him to have someone his own age around here.” He clapped her on the shoulder. “Especially a knight.”

“I’m not a knight.” Connie said, more out of reflex than anything else. Her shoulder ached where Tourmaline had pounded her with her weapon that morning. 

“Not yet,” Gregory agreed. “But I’ve seen how hard you work. You’ll get there someday.” He sounded so assured of her that for just a moment, Connie believed that she really would make it through this.

“Connie…I know how isolating it can be to be around Gems all the time.” Gregory continued, giving her a small squeeze (on her uninjured shoulder). “They are incredible beings but they don’t understand what it is to be human. We’re special too, just in a different way.” 

Connie nodded, staring at the floor.

The Lord Regent smiled softly at her. “If you ever need anything…just ask. I’m here.”

Tears pricked her eyes but unlike the shameful ones that had burned unshed in her eyes this morning, these felt warm and safe. It was a feeling she hadn’t had in a long time. 

Connie forced herself to look at him. “Thank you.” She murmured, her voice catching.

Gregory smiled at her and waved them off.

Once the door closed behind them, Steven turned to Connie expectantly. “Well?” His eyes were glowing with excitement. Connie felt it too. Here was their first real breakthrough. And she couldn’t stop the warm feeling in her stomach from Gregory’s words. 

Connie held her chin, thinking while she tried to control the emotion from seeping her voice. “At this point, we’re best off trying to find out about the comet ourselves since your dad didn’t know anything…” She assessed. “I think we’ll have to stick to the books on that one…But…maybe we could try to seek out some Hokatu merchants or minstrels and see what they know of this Mitsukage from the mural…”

Steven nodded determinedly. “Yeah! You speak Hokatu, and I’ve got my princely charm! We’ll find out something!”

Connie chuckled, raising an eyebrow. “Princely Charm? What’s that?”

“It’s my magical power!” Steven told her, puffing out his chest. “I can make anyone tell us anything if necessary.”

Connie laughed. “I think that’s just the prince title at work…” She patted him on the head. “But let’s start with this Hajime guy; can you get your dad to tell you more about what he looks like and where he tends to go?”

Steven saluted her. “Sure thing!” He held both hands alongside his head, his gaze intensely focused. “Princely Charm….activate!”

Connie had to laugh. “I really don’t think the charm thing works Steven…”

“Oh contraire, Miss Connie…” Steven replied, acting all prim and proper. “It’s already worked its magic on some of the Gems…”

“Really?” 

Steven nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, yesterday I convinced Aqua to let me tag along on your field mission! She’s always pestering Pearl to let me join her for field work, so all I had to do was lay on some charm and wham!” He pounded his fist into his palm. “I’m going on a mission!”

The prince took off down the hall, humming loudly to himself. Connie watched, her heart sinking slightly. 

Somehow, she didn’t think having Steven along for this mission would make her preparations any easier…

***

Far from Castle City, under the cold light of the stars and the warm shadows of thick trees, a Gem was tending to her plants. Each one was unique and required particular care and attention, so much so that she rarely rested these days. 

The Gem turned her soil over, her ancient fingers protesting the movement. She knew she needed some rest. But she couldn’t have slept even if she wanted too because for the past few weeks, her bed had been occupied by the child curled up in it now. 

The Gem clipped at the buds of her lilies, humming to herself as she worked. The child’s slumber was quiet and motionless but completely lacked a sense of peace. It was a patient sleep, the long wait.

The Gem moved on to her star fruits, plucking the ripe ones gently and brushing the others with a touch of magic to help them along.

Without any preamble, the body behind her stirred, then suddenly sat bolt upright as if a tremor had gone through the world. 

“ _Mitsukage…_ ” The child declared, her voice light and airy. Her wide eyes burned with the light of the stars. Her hair furled out behind her in a non-existent wind.

The Gem rolled her eyes, not looking up from her plants. “Enough of that nonsense. Back to sleep.”

The child obediently laid her head down again but for the first time in weeks, she managed to stay awake for more than an hour. She gazed at the stars through the treetops and saw shadows trapped by the light. Her hands burned with unreleased heat, her heart hummed with magic.

The familiar word danced on the tip of her tongue but she dared not say it aloud again.

_Mitsukage…_


	7. Field Training

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously owe CinnamonPearl517 my first-born child for betaing for me. You are the best, girl!

The day of the field mission began with a cool dawn that carried a strong hint of the coming winter. The air was sheer and crisp, the wind sharp as it passed Gem and human alike. 

Palace Terrain Analyst Guard Aquamarine energetically led the half-asleep trainees up the foothills of the Quartz Mountains to the north of Castle City, providing a running commentary about the importance of the landscape features to their water supply as they trudged along. She was a slim Gem, like Pearl but slightly taller than the Commander. Her skin was a swirled marble of blue and turquoise colors that meandered across her form with no clear pattern or purpose. She didn’t often clothe herself in armor, choosing instead to wear simple breeches, a loose shirt, and a very large hat that shaded her face. Aquamarine was one of those Guards who didn’t look particularly threatening but could instill fear in any Gem when in a certain mood. Thankfully, she much preferred attacking rocks to other Gems. Connie had once witnessed her go on a rampage with her mace, pulverizing several rocks twice her size into dust. 

Amethyst trailed behind Aqua, looking incredibly bored and just as eager as her trainees to crawl back into bed. 

Connie was first in line behind the Guard Gems, fully alert. She had been up two hours before dawn, readying her pack for the long day ahead. Even as she marched, she was still mentally running through her checklist of supplies: bread, cheese, canteen, lantern and oil, healing kit, extra bread, blanket, glowstone, data logger, flint starter, rope, spare tunic, spare socks…

“Connie?”

She turned at the voice, her thoughts interrupted. For some reason, Beryl had opted to tag along on this field mission. As far as Connie knew, her skills were not necessarily needed for this task. Maybe she was here to spy on them for Pearl again.

The Gem smiled at her. “Loosen up,” she advised Connie. “You’re starting to make me anxious with the faces you keep pulling.”

“Sorry.” Connie apologized. “Just…excited is all.”

Beryl nodded. “Field missions… They never get old.” She glanced up to where Aquamarine was sprinting over to an outcropping of rock, looking utterly delighted. “…Especially with Aqua…” The red Gem leaned down to whisper into Connie’s ear. “Whatever you do, don’t let her start talking about Gem genesis theories…” 

Connie smiled, already feeling better. As Beryl quickened her pace to catch up to Aquamarine, she snuck a glance behind her. Sandwiched squarely between Amber and Tourmaline at the end of the line was Steven. The prince caught her eye and grinned in response, then turned his attention back to his current task of trying to get Tourmaline to speak to him. The larger Gem was giving him nothing but monosyllabic responses. 

Connie had to admit; she had been worried to learn that Steven was coming along. Last night, they had met in secret, and Connie had given him her list of all the things she was planning to pack to ensure that she would survive a trip that was completely undemanding to a Gem. To her surprise, the Prince stated that Pearl had already prepared a pack for him. Of course, his pack was so big with everything Pearl had thought necessary that Tourmaline was recruited to carry it. The Trainee was clearly not happy about it, but she was still on thin ice with the Commander after her duel with Connie the previous week, so she didn’t say a word in complaint. 

“Gather ‘round everyone!” Aquamarine called, waving them up to where she waited with Beryl. “We’ve got something really cool up here!”

Connie and the others hastened their walk and gathered in a loose semi-circle around the side of the hill. 

“Now what we see here…” Aquamarine was saying as she summoned her heavy-headed mace from the gem on the back of her left hand. “Is a rare conglomeration of minerals. Very rare indeed…”

She slammed her mace effortlessly into the rock, making the ground tremble slightly. Several sections of dirt crumbled from the base, a thin skin of rock peeling away to reveal the heart of the stones underneath. 

“Can anyone tell me what this is?” Aqua asked, pointing to a section of rock.

Connie’s hand shot into the air, and Aquamarine’s eyes jumped to her immediately. Of all the Guards, she was the only one who ever actually acknowledged Connie’s presence in class. She had also been the first one to use Connie’s name in place of the more common: “Human!”

“Yes, Trainee Connie?” 

“The patterns of the rock suggest that there are sulfuric minerals here, Guard Aquamarine.” Connie answered, proud that she had thought to review minerals before this trip.   
Aqua nodded, looking impressed. “Very good Trainee. But you’re missing something.” Connie’s face fell. 

Citrine quietly raised her hand and Aquamarine nodded to her. “Yes, Trainee Citrine?

Citrine was thin and tall with wide hips and large hands. Her whole form was various shades of yellow except for her thick, curly, pastel-colored hair that hung back in a large ponytail and her curious, large brown eyes. Her gem was placed just above her navel. She dressed in a way that reminded Connie of the saris worn by the women of her homeland. Sometimes, when she needed comfort, Connie could just look towards Citrine and think of home. The yellow Gem spoke softly, but her voice carried effortlessly to the entire group. “There are crystals of Druze here, Mistress Aquamarine. These hills are vitally important for their production and refinement.” 

Aquamarine grinned enthusiastically. “Indeed! This is where a good chunk of our Druze production comes from.” She swung her mace with vigor and cracked open the entire hillside. A circular section of the hill split clean away, grass and dirt still attached to the stones. On the bare face of the exposed bedrock, tiny clear crystals winked at the observers. They glittered unevenly, giving the stone an appearance of a soft, velvet fabric instead of hard bedrock. Aqua swung her mace heavily, smashing right into the ore. Crystals exploded from their resting places, raining onto the ground before the Trainees. “Behold!” Aqua cried, “The most vital strategic resource for our continued existence!”

Connie stooped and picked up a crystal from where it had landed in front of her. She had never seen Druze in its raw form before. Few ever did. By the time it entered the Pink Palace, rocks such as these were already in their powdered form, ready for absorption by the Gems. But like this, fresh from the earth and sparkling in the sun, it was truly beautiful.

Citrine also picked up a crystal. The others were hanging back, clearly not as invested as Connie and Citrine were. The Gem held up her chunk, examining it in the light. “So this is unrefined Druze…?” She made as if to lick it but stopped when Aquamarine shook her head curtly. 

“You shouldn’t consume that, Trainee.” Aquamarine informed her, holding her mace over one shoulder. “It’s unrefined. It could destabilize your form.”

Amethyst scoffed. “That’s just talk!” She plucked the hunk of Druze from Citrine and swallowed it.

For about three seconds, no one moved. Then, Amethyst coughed violently and doubled over. She curled up on the ground, holding her stomach and moaning. 

Aqua chuckled. “Told you so.”

Amethyst coughed again. “I’m okay…” She choked out. “It’s just…a little…painful…”

Aqua patted the purple Gem’s head sympathetically. “That’ll be your form trying to reject it. The Druze ore has to be refined into its powdered form before it is suitable for our constructs.” She informed the rest of the group. She unhooked a small pouch from her belt and took a small pinch of a glowing powder from within. “Speaking of which, I could do with a pinch!” She sprinkled the powder onto her gem. A satisfied smile crossed her lips as her gem glowed, and a small shiver ran through her form. 

“What happens if you don’t get Druze?” Connie asked. Immediately, she regretted it. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Tourmaline muttered. The others just looked at her like she were stupid, as if she had asked why the sky was blue or why Gems used female pronouns. 

Aqua didn’t seem to mind though. “Ah, the most horrid of things, Connie.” She began, closing the pouch and tucking it away. She gestured at Amethyst who was still groaning and holding her middle but had managed to sit upright again. “Amethyst here is displaying several signs of a mild case of Druze insufficiency. If a Gem goes without Druze…” Aqua continued. “It can lead to an unstable form, inability to use magic or Vitreous abilities, a loss of sensory perception, and even a cracked gem.”

Everyone else was silent. Connie guessed her fellow Trainees were still stewing over the fact that she had asked such an inane question. 

“A little ironic, isn’t it Trainees…” Aqua said, smirking. “That the only one of you who does not need Druze is the only one that cares enough to learn more about it?” She nodded at Connie. “One should always ask questions when they do not know the answer.”

Connie smiled but her relief was punctured somewhat by Tourmaline scoffing. 

“Come along, Trainees.” Aquamarine said, banishing her mace with a flurry of magic. “We have places to see and things to do. This field mission is going to get a lot more interesting before I’m through with you!”

***

The steep rocks of the hillside acquired a thick coating of snow as they moved to higher elevations, towards the base of the South Peak. The two other sharp Quartz peaks peeked through the snowy distance to the east and north. The merciless northern winds channeled through these peaks as they traveled south, their momentum and chill shredding the gusts into gentle breezes. But up here in the mountains, the gusts were still going strong and flakes of snow twirled in the raging battle overhead. Connie shrugged her extra layer off of her pack, pulled it on as quickly as she could, and jogged to catch up to the group. Amethyst was the only one who acknowledged her return and to Connie’s surprise, it was with a subtle nod. The purple Gem was grimacing, her form shifting slightly from the Druze she had eaten. 

Connie fell back in step. Now she was closer to Steven as well, but he only acknowledged her with a quick, cheeky whistle: _GC_ , which was their code for “ _Hello!_ ”

Connie didn’t whistle back, but her heart swelled. 

“I think here’s good enough,” Aqua said as they crested a hilltop, the edges of the neighboring mountains visible in the distance. She bounded ahead again, leaping up onto a snow-covered rock. She smiled manically at all of them. “Now the real fun begins!” 

Turquoise, Tourmaline, and Beryl all groaned (although the Guard was significantly quieter than the Trainees), but Steven made such a loud happy sound that he nearly drowned them out.

“What are we doing?” He asked, eyes practically glowing. 

Aqua smirked at him, clearly glad that someone else was sharing her enthusiasm. 

“Part of your duties as a Guard includes the discovery and protection of resources for both the Gem and human inhabitants of Castle City and the kingdom,” she informed them. Connie slipped off her pack and set it down in the snow. She had a feeling she’d appreciate the break.

“The surrounding hills here have ideal conditions for not just Druze ore, but sulfur, iron, and copper as well.” Aqua continued. “Your mission today is to pair off and search for these resources in the surrounding area. If you find a deposit, you are to confirm its identity and map it in your data logger. After one hour, you report back to me. Understood?”

The Trainees saluted. “Yes, Guard Aquamarine!” they called in unison, some more enthusiastic than others. 

“Good!” 

“What about me?” Steven asked. 

The Guard smiled down at him. “You, my Prince, are going go with Guard Beryl and circle around the groups, making sure no one is slacking off. Can you do that?”

Steven nodded, and Connie recognized his ‘serious face,’ She nearly laughed but stifled it by rummaging around in her pack. 

“You may choose your partner.” Aquamarine announced. “Dismissed!” She back-flipped off the rock and started examining intently.

Connie’s heart sank. 

Turquoise had teamed up with Tourmaline already, the smaller Gem desperate for any chance to escape her twin sister even if it meant teaming up with the surly Tourmaline. Cymophane didn’t seem to care though, as she had bounded over to Citrine’s side before Aqua had even dismissed them. Amethyst was pointedly looking away, her focus on the distant horizon.

That only left…

“Chīmun o tsukuritaidesu kai?” A hesitant voice asked.

Connie looked up at Amber, smiling at the Gem’s horrible pronunciation. 

“Chīmu o tsukuritaidesu ka,” she corrected. ”Hai, watashi wa.”

Amber smiled bashfully. “Thanks.” She replied in Common.

Connie had helped the Gem out once in the past week, going over translations of Hokatu with her for hours until their work was up to Jade’s standards. Amber had been grateful, so much that she tried to speak to Connie in Hokatu every time she approached her these days. It was helping her though; she was starting to develop the correct accent when she spoke.

“OH, one more thing!” Aqua called out before any of the newly-formed groups could move out. “Take these!” Aqua tossed out three identical cylinders towards the Trainees, not even looking up to aim. “Beacons,” she informed them. “In case of emergency. They will send either myself, Beryl, or Amethyst to your rescue.”

“No they won’t!” Amethyst moaned, already curling up next to the rock to make herself comfortable while her form digested the raw Druze. “Ya’ll are on your own!” She closed her eyes and began to snore. 

Aqua shrugged but made no move to motivate Amethyst. “Trainees, away!” She shooed them off. 

Tourmaline dropped Steven’s pack and took off without another word, Turquoise calling for her to slow down as she scooped up a beacon and followed. 

“Come, my prince,” Beryl said, hefting the pack and putting a gentle hand on Steven’s shoulder. “Let’s see if we can find some adventure.” Steven nodded eagerly, shot a glance at Connie, and set off with the Guard. 

“Ready?” Amber asked Connie, checking to make sure her sword was attached to her belt. 

“One second.” Connie said, rummaging around in her pack. They had been hiking for hours, and she could do with a quick snack. She took a long gulp from her canteen, then resumed searching for her hunk of bread. Before she found it though, her hand encountered something unexpected. “…What?” She pulled out several strips of dried jerky, the perfect snack for a long hike. She was about to inquire where they had come from when the answer hit her like a gust of wind: _Gregory_. He’d been hanging around this morning before they left, talking to Steven and speaking quietly with Aquamarine. Connie had seen him give Steven some jerky, and he’d winked in her direction as she hefted her pack. Connie smiled. It was good to know that someone was looking out for her. She bit into a strip of the jerky, tucking the rest away. It tasted divine. Gregory might as well have tacked a note onto it reading: _enjoy!_

Amber watched her curiously as she chewed, clearly confused about the mechanics of human eating. 

Connie motioned towards the north. “Shall we?” She asked around the mouthful of meat. Amber nodded and they set off into the snow.

The Quartz Mountains really were quite beautiful. They were easily accessed by a warp pad to the west, but the three peaks were so high they were only climbed by the scouting Guards and the teams of humans who mined the mineral deposits there. 

Connie and Amber headed southeast around the summit, the human deducing that they were more likely to find Druze in areas with more exposure, as the mineral was known to replicate better in direct sunlight. Amber seemed happy to follow Connie’s lead, logging the path they took and marking down the few deposits of Druze and other minerals they encountered. 

“I can’t believe this stuff is so exposed like this…” Amber commented as she logged their third Druze pocket. “It’s so…unsettling.” 

“Huh? What do you mean?” Connie asked, looking ahead to where a pile of unsteady rocks sat on the mountainside. 

“It’s just…it makes my form feel odd, being around this…” Amber admitted, shying away from the pocket as she finished marking its position. “Like my form rejects even being close to it.”

Connie was intrigued. “Really?”

“Yes.” Amber looked sideways at her. “You don’t feel that?”

Connie shook her head.

“Huh” Amber made a face. “Must be because you’re human…” 

They continued along the mountainside, picking their way uphill as they followed a vein of iron ore. Eventually, their trail disappeared as a tall, icy cliff reared before them, leading to the next level of the mountain.

Without hesitation, Amber leapt up easily in a single bound. “Connie? You coming?”

“Just a second!” Connie called back. She was fishing in her pack for her rope. “Is there a rock or something up there?”

“Huh?” Amber peered down at her. The Gem observed what she was doing, then leapt back down and landed next to Connie in a small poof of snow. She watched as Connie tugged out her rope and began to unwind it. 

“You know…I could just pull you up if you like.” The Gem offered. 

“Nope,” Connie replied immediately. “I prefer to climb.” Her gloves were making it hard to tie knots in the rope but she was resolute. 

“Why?” Amber questioned. “It’s no trouble, really! You hardly weigh more than the swords we train with, it’ll be easy.”

“I can do it myself.” Connie replied, hating that this was becoming an argument. She tossed the rope up, but missed the hook she was aiming for and wound the rope up as quickly as she could to try again.

Amber didn’t seem to notice Connie’s discomfort. “Really, Connie. I dont mind.” 

“I said it’s fine!” Connie snapped. “Just let me do this my way!”

To her surprise, Amber flushed and hurriedly back-peddled. “I...! I didn’t…” She fiddled with the data logger. “I…I’m sorry.”

Connie said nothing. she felt she was owed at least one apology. She didn’t care who from. She threw her rope again. This time it caught on a ledge. Not the one she was aiming for but she’d take it.

“I…I do know what it’s like though…” Amber continued. “…to have no one expect anything from you.” The small Gem lowered her head, staring at the snow. 

“Amber…”

The Gem wasn’t done. “I mean, I don’t even know why the Captain let me in! What chance does a tiny Amber like me have compared to the likes of a huge Gem like Tourmaline? Or one of those wolves? We’re not really fighting Gems…”

Connie bit her lip. “Right.”

The two of them were silent for a moment as they contemplated their shared lots in life. The wind picked up over the mountainside, whipping loose snow about them.

“…you were pretty brave in that duel with Tourmaline…” Amber admitted, so quietly that Connie almost didn’t hear it over the wind. “We all thought so.”

Connie didn’t ask who ‘we’ was. She was pretty sure Amber was only referring to herself, Citrine, and (possibly) Carnelian. But who ever knew what the silent Guard was thinking? 

“…I…I only meant that you don’t have to be so… so averse to accepting help from us.” Amber clarified. “I wont think any less of you for it…” She fell silent, perhaps finally realizing she may have said too much. 

“Let’s keep moving.” Connie suggested. 

Amber nodded, not looking at Connie. She made as if to leap up the cliff again but paused before she jumped. 

“What is that?” She was looking at something over Connie’s shoulder. 

Connie looked around and gasped. Her eyes were immediately drawn to a bright light steadily growing brighter as it plummeted from the clear sky above. 

And it was coming right for them.

“Amber! Get down!” Connie tackled the Gem, the pair of them rolling over in the snow. 

There was a piercing whistling sound, and a massive gust of wind crashed into them. Something smashed into the earth so hard it seemed to shake the entire mountain. Chunks of snow fell off of the cliffside above them and dumped on their forms. 

Connie’s ears were ringing and she shook her head frantically as she clawed her way out of the snow.

To her left, Amber was sputtering, her head popping out of a snowbank. 

The Gem caught sight of her and wriggled out of the snow. “Connie! Connie are you alright?” 

Connie nodded. “Yeah…what was that?”

Amber offered Connie a hand up, which Connie took on account of the fact that her feet were buried under about four feet of hard snow. With a tug from the Gem, she popped free. “Some kind of meteorite I guess…” Amber said, already starting towards the crater.

Connie shivered. “A meteorite…” Her stomach twisted. Could this be another one of the falling stars she and Steven had seen? 

They both stood still as an ominous sound echoed from the crater. 

Ice filled Connie’s veins. “That doesn’t sound like a meteor…” She felt for her sword, relieved to find it still on her hip. 

A strange green glow emanated from the crater, steadily getting brighter. Something small rose from the earth. 

Amber stared. “Is that…?”

Connie nodded. There was no question: it was a gem. 

The stone floated above the ground, the Gem in the process of reforming. But as Connie and Amber watched, something seemed to go horribly wrong. The forming Gem shrieked, her pained cries shaking the ground around them. The light around her Gem continued to grow and grow and grow, twisting into odd shapes. When she finally took shape, both Connie and Amber were paralyzed with horror.

This was no Gem… This was a monster. Its green and black body was long and segmented like a centipede. Dozens of legs sprouted from its body, completing the look. An enormous beak clacked threateningly at both ends. 

“…No…No…” Amber sounded shocked, as if something were horribly wrong. Her gem was pulsing irregularly with light the color of muddy water. The beast sniffed the air, a sound between a gurgle and a cackle churning in its throat. It didn’t seem to have noticed them yet.

Connie’s thoughts immediately flew to the beacon Aqua had given to Amber before their departure. Moving her hand slowly, she tried to signal to her partner without attracting the beast’s attention. But Amber seemed paralyzed. She stared at the beast with wide eyes that seemed to swallow her face. Connie reached for Amber’s belt only to find the beacon wasn’t there. It lay exposed on the snow, close to the crater and mere feet from the beast. Amber must have dropped it when the Gem landed. 

Connie took a soft step forward, intent on sneaking up to the life-saving device. But Amber’s Gem chose that exact moment to pulse more strongly, so strongly that even Connie felt the tremor of magic ripple across the snow. There was an undercurrent of fear in the air, radiating from Amber.

The beast turned sharply. Nightmarish jaws gaped open as a single eye stared right at them. The gem was nestled in the very back of the mouth, blinking at them. Without warning, the monstrous Gem surged forward and head-butted Amber, sending her flying into the cliff. Connie was brushed aside as if she weighed no more than a fly, tumbling over and over in the snow. If that was the power this beast had in passing, she hated to think of what it felt to be the target of such power. “Amber!” Connie cried as she picked herself up, drawing her sword in reflex.

To her great relief, the small Gem didn’t seem to have given up her form from the assault. She was back on her feet, shaken out of her daze and fighting tooth and nail with her sword. Unfortunately, the beast had her trapped against the cliff. The tiny Gem struggled frantically, trying to escape the trap of the monster’s legs. Wherever she tried to turn, more and more legs seemed to box her in. Her sword was little help, bouncing harmlessly whenever she could land a solid blow. The beast screamed, snapping its jaws so close to Amber’s head that she was forced to duck. 

Thinking quickly, Connie ran towards the crater, scooping up a snowball as she went. When she was close enough, she took aim and sent her projectile flying. The snow spattered on the beast’s head, making enough of an impact to draw its attention. “Hey!” Connie shouted. “Over here!!” She gripped her sword tightly as the beast turned, advancing on her slowly. It’s back half remained in front of Amber, keeping the Gem from escaping.

Connie was stuck. She didn’t know what to do. She’d only ever fought against armed opponents before, not beasts like this. And this was no ordinary creature of the badlands or forest; this was a Gem. Flashes of her duel with Tourmaline crossed her mind. Her legs shook as she took another step back. Could she really take it down? Her mind began to race. What did she have? Her supplies? Useless here. Rope? Maybe but it was buried somewhere under that snowbank by the cliff. Her glow stone? No good unless she could get it lit…

The beast clacked its jaws as it approached her. One of its legs kicked something loose from the snow as it went. Her gaze darted down.

_The beacon._

Shrieking, the monster dove for Connie. A second before she was a spatter on the snow, she dove to the side, sending the beast careening head-first into the chasm it had emerged from. The beast writhed and snarled, trying to sort out its limbs. 

Connie dove for the beacon, scooping it out of the snow with one hand. Pointing it at the sky, she fired off two quick pulses. The gem beast cowered and shrieked, as if afraid of the light. Keeping a firm grip on her sword, Connie fired the beacon again, but this time, she aimed it at the beast. The flash of light made the thing curl in on itself, shuddering. But it was not deterred for long. Before the beacon could recharge, the beast skittered out of its hole towards Connie, limbs flying over the snow. She threw herself sideways as a spray of something gushed from between the beast’s gaping jaws. 

A rock caught in the spittle disintegrated right before her eyes. The snow vaporized on contact. Connie stared.

“Connie! Look out!” 

Amber’s warning came a split second too late. The tail end of the beast slammed into her, and Connie flew backwards. The beacon tumbled from her grip as she plowed into a snowdrift. She thanked the Light Goddess and the Northern Winds for that mercy. If it had been rock, she would be dead. 

She struggled free. By some miracle, she hadn’t let go of her sword. Her hands and feet were trembling as the beast came at her again, jaws wide. She saw the opening, the perfect moment to strike, But her arms refused to move. She knew exactly what she had to do, but her body wasn’t responding.

Her window of opportunity closed as the beast began to gurgle low in its throat. Connie realized what was coming and tried to get away. Her feet jerked and stumbled across the snow, barely keeping her upright. The venom sprayed from the beast’s maw, more of a fine mist this time than a flood. Still trembling from the impact of before, Connie stumbled, her roll leaving her too low. The mist spread, overtaking her.

It was only the tiniest of splashes but the effect was immediate. 

A sharp, burning pain ripped across her face. Connie screamed as her left eye _fizzled_. The sensation was unbearable. it felt like her skin was eating her eye away from the inside out.

“Connie!” Amber’s panicked cry gave Connie enough warning to duck as the monster snapped its jaws at her. She rolled away, shoving her face into the snow in an attempt to quell the burning. The snow turned to warm vapor around her face, curling up around her.

“Hey!” Connie heard Amber shouting, trying to distract the beast from her, the easy pickings laying facedown in the snow. But she couldn’t move. She could barely lift her head from the crushing weight of the pain. 

Amber screamed and the beast howled. There was a mighty thud as if something had collided with hard stone. 

Connie turned her head in time to see the beast rearing above a fallen, defenseless Amber, parting its jaws, acid dripping...

“A…Amber!”

The beast struck.

A bright wash of warm light spilled over the mountaintop, seeming to originate from the small Gem. The beast screamed a harsh guttural cry. Connie blinked, squinting through the pain. Amber was holding something. Something that wasn’t her issued sword. 

The beast stumbled back from the Gem, a thick gash newly opened on its front. 

Emboldened, Amber raised the new weapon in her hand. It was a sickle. Curved and sharp, it fit perfectly in her hand. The weapon was beautiful. A thick brown color that became a softer amber sheen at its curved point. The small Gem struck again, slicing clean through one of the beast’s many legs. As it shrieked and tried to struggle backwards, Amber’s gem began to glow again. 

Slowly, she reached into it and withdrew a second identical sickle. The beast paused, struck immobile from terror as Amber stared it down.

Something red suddenly darted across the snow, leaping from the cliff. The figure blurred across Connie’s field of vision but she could have recognized that style anywhere. Beryl hovered above the beast’s head for a moment before bearing down with her scythe. In a well-practiced slice, the blade curved around the beast’s neck, cutting off its harsh cries as it punctured the throat. The creature shuddered and exploded into light. All that remained was its gem stone. 

Beryl snatched the gem from the air, rolling once as she hit the snow. With a flick of her wrist, a crimson bubble formed around the gem. 

“That was incredible!!” Steven popped up on top of the cliff, his eye shining in awe as Beryl sent the bubble away with a light tap. “Whoa! Amber! Is that your weapon?

The smaller Gem had collapsed on the snow, fatigue from the fight catching up with her. Her sickles remained in her grip, not displaced enough to dissipate, but Amber lacking the focus to dismiss them.

Connie tried to call out but all she could manage was a muffled moan. 

Steven jumped from the ledge and landed hard in the snow. He bounced right back up and darted to Amber’s side. Completely enthralled by the new weapons, he appeared to have completely missed Connie lying in the snow. “Is that some kind of sword? Can I touch them?”

Amber wasn’t paying attention to them, she was trying to struggle to her feet, her eyes on Connie. 

“Quite an impressive blade Trainee…” Beryl commented, examining the sickle blades that showed a slight resemblance to her scythe. She offered Amber a smile. “they will serve you well. Congratulations.” 

“Many thanks Guard Beryl,” Amber said, her legs trembling as she finally stood “but…Trainee Connie…I think she’s been injured.”

Her strength waning, Connie’s head fell heavily into the snow as the Gems rushed towards her. She felt Beryl drop to the ground alongside her. “Human. Hold on Connie, we’ll get you some help.”

Connie felt the Gem’s strong arms lift her up and then they were moving rapidly. 

“Connie!” Steven’s voice broke through the haze. She tried to turn to see him but her field of vision seemed to be shrinking. Almost as if she were slowly going blind. She tried not to think about the repercussions of that. She lost the battle to unconsciousness as Beryl took off running with her, Steven’s cries echoing across the snow after them.

***

“…eaten away by that thing’s acid…”

“…something you can do?”

“Steven’s practically hysterical…”

“…if we had Rose again…”

“But we don’t. We’ll just have to think of something else.”

Noises and snippets of conversation were the first thing Connie noticed. Next was the overwhelming sensation of cold over her left eye. 

She forced her eyes open…and saw nothing but black.

_No…NO._

She sat up but the world spun, which was even more disorienting when she couldn’t see. She felt bile rise in her throat.

A hand was suddenly at her back, bending her over gently. She threw up and heard the sound of the contents of her stomach splashing into a bucket of some kind.

“Easy…” A deep, familiar voice told her. “Don’t panic…” 

“C…Captain?” Connie wiped her mouth and turned her head, trying to get her bearings by sound alone. 

There was a high-pitched squeak and a familiar voice rang out. “Oh thank the Diamonds! She’s awake.” The Commander sounded uncharacteristically relieved. Connie felt a smaller hand slide onto her back and something wet wiping her mouth clean. “It’s alright Connie, you’re safe.”

“Oh good, she’s okay!” Amethyst’s voice sounded relieved.

“W…What?” Her throat burning from dryness and the aftertaste of vomit, Connie could barely croak out a word. She raised her hand and groped for her left eye, for the source of the cold. She encountered the bump of a bandage that crossed both of her eyes like a blindfold. The cloth over her left eye protruded slightly and she felt small crystals of magical ice over the area.

“I gave you some ice.” Garnet replied. The Captain placed one of her hands over Connie’s eye, the sharp facets of her gem pressing into the bandage. The cold intensified. 

Connie relaxed slightly as the cool sensation dulled her need to vomit again. “What…where am I?” She asked. Someone pressed a cold glass into her hand and she drank cool water slowly.

“You got hit,” Pearl replied, her hand rubbing a small circle on Connie’s shoulder. “Not too badly, but…”

“You had us all worried there!” Amethyst cut in. “Pearl was barking out orders the second she saw you were down…”

“I was not barking…”

“The thing that attacked you and Amber had some kind of venom.” A fourth voice replied. _Jade_ , Connie recognized. “You took a fine misting of it to the eye. It wasn’t bad but…there was some damage.”

“How bad is it?” Connie demanded, tracing her hand over the bandage.

“There will be scarring,” the scholar admitted. “Some loss of vision… If you could regenerate your form it wouldn’t matter at all but…”

Garnet cut her off. “You will be fine,” she told Connie with absolute certainty. “Queen Rose had a fountain of healing tears in the eastern forests. I will head out there in the morning to collect a draft of them. They will be able to heal most of the damage to your eyes.”

“Most?”

There was silence from all four Gems. “…It’s been too long for the tears to heal them completely,” Pearl finally admitted, her voice quiet. “You came off the mountain this evening but the injury occurred midday. The venom had already set by the time you got here.”

“Yeah man,” Amethyst said quietly. “Beryl went as fast as she could but you were really far out.”

Silence descended among the group, except for someone tapping away on a data logger. Probably Jade collecting observations about Connie’s recovery. Her fists clenched in the blankets under her and she bit her lip. Connie didn’t know why no one was saying it. Her gut clenched uncomfortably in anticipation of the final words. Why were they making her suffer?

“Trainee Amber will be pleased you are awake.” Pearl continued. “She was quite devastated to see you hurt…”

“…I’m sure Beryl will want to know she’s awake as well,” Jade said, still plugging away on her notes. 

“Oh yes,” Pearl replied. “And we’ll have to make sure we get extra tears Garnet, just in case she has any complications…”

Connie couldn’t stand it any longer. “I…I’m out, aren’t I?” She asked quietly. 

The others were quiet. 

Connie gripped the blankets tighter. “Th…this is it. I’ve failed. I won’t be able to continue training…” This was the failure that would define her to them. A weak little human, unable to survive even one real battle without damage. Scratch that, unable to even _fight_ one real battle.

“You will recover,” Garnet interrupted, her voice overwhelming whatever Jade tried to say. “And you will succeed.” She spoke with such conviction that Connie shivered. 

Everyone was silent for a moment, and Connie wished she could see so that she could determine Pearl’s, Amethyst’s, and Jade’s thoughts on the matter. 

“Don’t worry about it Connie,” Amethyst said. “You’re a tough rock…for a human…you’ll pull through…”

“That’s right,” Pearl finally said in a no-nonsense voice. “This is just a minor setback. You were quiet lucky that you got hurt as little as you did. After you have some of Rose’s tears, we will be able to see how you recover and resume your training…in whatever ways you can…”

“I’ve already considered a solution if your eyesight is not as it once was.” Jade cut in, still tapping on her data logger. “The Hokatu have perfected human vision enhancers made from glass and metal frames that sit on the nose. With a few days and some tests, I should be able to produce an adequate pair for you.”

Connie was floored by the matter-of-fact way that the scholar said that. “R...really? Thank you.” 

A strong hand — Garnet’s — patted Connie firmly on the shoulder. “We will see what the future holds once we know more,” she assured her. “Right now, we just have to wait.”

It wasn’t very encouraging but that was all she had right now. Connie tried to smile but even she could tell the others weren’t convinced. Why were they all so accepting of this?

“Trainee Amber insists that you fought very bravely against the beast that attacked you,” Garnet commented almost offhandedly, as if it were common knowledge. Connie’s head shot up in Garnet’s direction (she hoped). “Once you feel up to a visit, I’m sure she will want to thank you. Your actions on the mountain probably saved her life.”

Connie didn’t know what to say. She had performed hideously against the Gem beast. Were they really basing their decision to let her continue on Amber’s word alone? Her stomach twisted and she felt as if she might throw up again. But nothing came up. 

As if she could sense the turmoil of Connie’s thoughts, Garnet spoke again. “Now, please excuse us,” she said. “There is something we must do.”

Pearl patted Connie’s shoulder somewhat awkwardly and Amethyst punched her gently on the arm. Jade made a humming noise but offered no physical contact. 

Connie heard them all file out, their footsteps echoing down the stone hall of the infirmary. She laid back down on her pillows, feeling the soft bandages over her eyes and trying to picture where she was. She would be inside the palace, in the rooms created especially for when Queen Rose had had delegations of humans on her council. Connie could picture the high ceilings and sharp marble buttresses, giving the sick something interesting to look at while they recovered. This infirmary was over 1000 years old but saw little use today. The Gems had no need for such a room, so it had been empty for nearly 200 years before Gregory had come to the palace. It was mostly used now as resting quarters for visiting Gems and very rarely as Prince Steven’s private infirmary for the few times he got sick or injured. 

The room would lay empty around her. It was probably dark as well since Gems didn’t need as much light as humans did to see. In all probability, none of them had thought to leave a candle burning or a globe glowing for Connie. Then again, with her vision compromised, would she have been able to tell? She didn’t even know what time of day it was.

Tears pricked her eyes, making her injuries sting. Her quiet sobs echoed in the cavernous room. Amber had been the one to fight off the beast, to summon her weapon! What had she even done? She’d thrown a snowball at it and frozen. And now she’d paid the cost for her cowardice: impaired vision. 

Despite loathing herself for sinking into these thoughts, Connie found she couldn’t help it with her current situation. She was already weaker, less powerful, and now with much weaker vision than her fellow trainees. Now she knew she was a coward as well. Just as Tourmaline had said. 

Her tears hurt more than the Gem beast’s acid had. 

***

At some point, Connie must have drifted off again because suddenly a familiar tune was whistling through the suffocating darkness. It took her a moment to register the notes and decode their meaning.

_Is the coast clear?_

She nearly started crying again. “Yes Steven. It’s fine.”

She heard the prince patter into the room, his footsteps nearly inaudible. But with her vision compromised, Connie found she focused on the sound more. A smirk turned up the corner of her mouth as a fleeting thought crossed her mind: what if she could fight by sound alone?

She scoffed silently to herself. Yeah right, that was a fantasy. She’d be dead in a week if she tried to do that.

“Heeeey,” Steven whispered, very close to her ear. She felt something at the foot of her bed but it was too light to be the prince.

Connie sniffed the air, picking out the scent of shelled nuts, dried apricots, and freshly baked bread. She sat up, feeling hungry and wondering how long ago she had last eaten. 

“Why are you always bringing me food?” Connie asked, touched. 

“My dad and I have picnics together whenever I’m feeling bad, Steven replied, setting something on her nightstand. “I figured I could do this for you, to help you out. He helped me steal some things from the kitchens.” He placed a second item down, this one sounding heavier than the first. Another whiff revealed that he had placed down a flagon of spiced durian juice, her favorite drink and a rare delicacy in the city. 

“Thank you, Steven.” She shifted to the side so he could sit next to her on the bed. 

“How are you doing?” Steven asked as he settled down next to her, drawing the basket of food he had placed at the foot of the bed closer. 

Connie sighed as he placed several nuts in her hand. “I’m alright, just…” She bit her lip. “Frustrated. I hate not being able to see.” There was no point in not being honest with him. He would get it out of her eventually.

A warm palm was placed against the side of her head. “Can I?”

Nodding, Connie began to snack on the nuts. 

Steven’s hands gently unwound the bandage, the soft cloth falling away from her face. When he reached the last loop of cloth, Steven readjusted the bandage and wound it only around her left eye, his technique significantly better than when he had bandaged her hand several weeks ago. 

Connie’s freed right eye adjusted slowly. She blinked, but a film still seemed to cover her vision. Things were slightly blurred; Steven’s outline in front of her seemed fuzzy and incomplete. The room was lit by a soft glowstone Steven had set on Connie’s nightstand.

She thought she saw him grimace. “Better?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Connie admitted. She gestured for him to pass her the juice. Steven pressed a large golden goblet into her hands, and she took a refreshing sip. “At least I have some vision…” she lamented. Then again, maybe with those vision enhancers Jade mentioned, blurred vision could be fixed. 

Steven plopped down in her blind spot, munching on something. He didnt say anything. 

“Steven, dont you think it looks kinda cool? Connie asked. She tweaked her ‘eye patch.’ “I could pass for a pirate! Or one of those far eastern shinto warriors!” She offered him the juice. Steven leaned into her field of vision and took the goblet. She had greatly miscalculated where the cup had needed to be. “Guess I’ll need to adjust to it, huh?” 

Steven was still quiet.

“Steven?” Connie blindly groped in his direction, hoping to poke him in the side. She got his leg instead. “What is it?”

“H...how bad is it?” Steven asked in a small voice. 

Connie frowned. Was he concerned about her injury? “Not too bad.” She said. “Everything’s fuzzy and the Captain said there would be some scarring. But Jade was talking about some Hokatu vision enhancers that may be able to help…”

She paused when she realized that Steven was crying. “Steven! Steven, I’m fine, really. It will be fine.” Her hand bumped into the goblet and she gently pushed it towards him.

“I…I wish I could heal you.” Steven said, after taking a long sip from the cup. 

Connie tried to pat his knee but her hand ended up closer to his shin. “Steven, even Queen Rose’s fountain won’t be able to heal me completely…” she assured him. “There’s nothing more to do at this point but wait for Jade to figure out vision enhancers.”

Steven cut her off in a trembling voice. “No, I mean… my mom’s actual tears had healing powers. Powers far stronger than her fountain.” He sniffed. “If I had her healing tears, I could’ve heal you.” 

“Steven…”

“I wasn’t there for you!” Steven cried suddenly, his head falling on Connie’s shoulder. The move startled her so much she nearly jumped out of bed. “I should have been able to protect you!” Steven sniffed loudly and Connie felt tears drip onto her shoulder. He shifted slightly, wrapping an arm around hers. “How can I protect you from stuff like this?” 

Connie couldn’t stand not being able to look at him any longer.

“Steven…” she began gently. “Would you mind moving in front of me?”

“Huh? Oh right.” Steven moved into her field of view, now sitting close to the end of her bed. He took another sip from the cup, then passed it to her again. 

“I’m sorry for crying…” Steven said, wiping his eyes. “I just…I feel so bad I can’t help you…”

“Steven…” Connie leaned forward and groped for his hand. Now that she could see him, it was a little easier. “You have nothing to apologize for. This was all my fault. There was nothing you could have done.”

“If I had mom’s shield, I could have protected you.” Steven insisted. “If I had her healing tears, I could fix this.”

“You weren’t there when I got hit.” Connie assured him, stroking his fingers. “Steven, _please_ don’t be so upset about this. My safety is not your concern. I will deal with the consequences of this injury.” It was hurting her more to know that he wanted so badly to help her. 

Steven sniffed again. “But what happens to you now?” 

Connie gulped down the rest of the juice before answering. “I will heal, and I will continue to train.”

“I…I don’t want you to have to leave Connie,” Steven admitted. “You shouldn’t have to give up your dream to be a knight because of this! We still have to be knights together!”

He still had so much faith in her, so much trust that she could overcome this. Connie couldn’t decide if he was delusional or just extraordinarily hopeful. But she didn’t care. He believed in her. And for Connie, that was enough for now.

“I’ll be fine Steven,” Connie assured him, trying to sound more confident than she felt. The juice seemed to have helped; it had awakened her senses and brought warmth back to her hands. “I have you. And you don’t need to protect me. You just have to be yourself.. Steven is all I need.”

Steven smiled, the tear stains on his face seeming to glow in the gentle light of the glowstone. Connie leaned forward, squeezing his hand.

A tingling sensation was filling her stomach and spreading rapidly to her limbs. It crept pleasantly up her throat and stole across her face, making her smile. When it reached her eyes, it stung. 

“Ahh!” Connie gripped her forehead in surprise as a twinge shot through her head, momentarily disorienting her.

“What is it?” Steven asked, reaching for her hand again.

“I…it’s something with my eyes…” Slowly, Connie opened her right eye. Steven’s blurry form appeared before her then slowly sharpened until it was almost painfully clear. His eyes were swimming in unshed tears, snot dripping from his nose and…was he blushing?

“My…I…I can see!” She hardly dared believe it, but the evidence was right in front of her. The film was gone. She could see perfectly again. Steven was silent, staring at her with wide eyes.

“Wh…what…what was that?” Connie asked. “What happened?” 

Steven’s gaze darted to the bandage. Reaching up, Connie slowly unwound the bandage around her left eye. 

The Captain’s ice crystals vaporized as the last wind of bandage was pulled away. Her vision readjusted as if her eye were just compensating for an extended period spent in great darkness. Slowly, her vision equaled out with her right eye, and then both sharpened. Her vision wasn’t just healed…it was better than it had been.

Connie traced a finger over her eyelid. There was nothing there except for the faintest of indentations to indicate a shapeless scar where the venom had hit her hardest. It was like the injury had been weeks ago, not yesterday.

She turned to the prince with wide eyes. “Steven…”

He looked even more shocked than she did. “I…I healed you? But how?”

They both glanced down, at the empty goblet of spiced juice laying on the bed between them. 

“I…I have healing SPIT!” Steven cried pumping both fists in the air.

***

Later that night, deep within the Temple, three Gems gathered in a high-ceilinged stone room. Garnet was tense, every muscle in her body feeling tight as she stared at the bubble hanging in the air. 

“You say Beryl destroyed its form?” she asked one of her companions.

“Yes,” Aqua replied, circling the bubble to observe the gem inside from every angle. It was a perfectly circular green stone with two circles of black adorning it. At quick glance, it looked like an eye. “Trainee Amber was holding it back but Beryl managed to get her scythe around its neck and destabilize it.” 

Pearl was quiet and still, standing just to Garnet’s right. “What exactly are we dealing with here?”

“Don’t know. I wasn’t involved in the fight. We won’t know until we observe it ourselves…” Aqua pointed out, her eyes shining in anticipation.

Garnet pinched the bridge of her nose briefly, trying desperately to look ahead, to determine anything of value for what they were about to do. But there was nothing this time. Even she could not predict this.

“Okay,” she finally said. “Let it out.” She stood ready.

Aquamarine summoned her mace and brought it down hard upon the bubble. The red-tinted prison popped and almost immediately, the green gem began to glow. Garnet summoned her gauntlets as the gem hovered slowly into the air, a strange humming noise coming from within. Light burst from the gem, conglomerating around the stone. 

Pearl watched closely, something in her own gem tickling as the strange Gem formed. 

At first the light seemed to be taking the shape of a Gem. Then it twisted grotesquely, shrieked in pain and doubled in size, mutating. Limbs thickened and shifted, the mouth expanded into a beak. Pearl, Garnet and Aquamarine all stared in varying degrees of horror as the monster took shape before them. It snarled at them, its beak already dripping with acid.

“Incredible…” Aquamarine breathed, her eyes shining. “It’s like she doesn’t know what she’s supposed to look like…how she’s supposed to function…”

The monster screamed, acid leaking from its mouth, and surged forward. Garnet grabbed Aqua around the waist, hurling her out of the way, and landed two hard punches on the beast’s jaw with her gauntlets. It skittered back, curling in on itself and snarling. When it caught sight of Pearl, it dashed for her. 

Her instincts taking over, Pearl snapped from her silent musings and dove out of the way. The pale Gem rolled over her shoulder, summoning her spear before she was even back on her feet. She stabbed at the monster’s mouth, aiming for the gem nestled in the back of its jaw. 

The beast only roared and sent a spray of deadly spit towards the Commander. Pearl danced back, landing on her toes and twisting lithely to avoid the attack.

Aquamarine watched, holding her hat to her head in open-mouthed amazement as the Commander and the Captain attacked the mad gem. She was enthralled by how it moved and responded to their attempts to hurt it.

“Aqua, we could use your help if you’re done admiring this thing’s attributes!” Pearl finally shouted, using her spear as leverage to leap over the beast’s snapping jaws. 

“Right, sorry!” Aqua leapt into the fray, abandoning her hat and closing her left fist around the newly-formed shape of her mace. She landed two quick hits on the monster’s cheek, making it flinch away from them. The Gem landed in front of the beast, twirling her weapon tauntingly. “Come on…” she encouraged it. “I know you’ve got more than this…”

The centipede gem howled in rage and darted forward, legs skittering. At the last second, Aqua leapt to the side and the beast careened into the wall. 

Aqua laughed but abruptly stopped when the creature’s tail whipped towards her, the pincer on the end of it snapping very close to her.

“Ooh! Very sneaky! But you’ll have to do better than that!” She gave the tail a hard smack.

Enraged, the beast skittered up the wall, clinging to the ceiling. From this advantage, it opened its mouth and sprayed the deadly liquid from its jaws. The stones began to hiss and disintegrate as droplets of the venom fell upon them.

“WHOA!” Aqua scooped up her hat, using it as an ineffective shield against the rain. “Acid spit?!” Her face split into a wide grin. “You guys weren’t kidding! This day just keep getting better and better!!” She dodged to the side and took refuge under an archway. With a brush of her hand, she changed the marble around her into iron. Droplets of acid rolled down the new surface.

“Speak for yourself!” Pearl shouted. She was half-hiding behind another archway, the other half of her protected from the spray by the bulk of Garnet. The Captain stood in the downpour, not even flinching as the drops hissed along her form, rolling off of her armor. When the beast finally ran out of juice, Garnet moved. 

She leapt upward and with a carefully placed punch, sent the beast crashing to the floor. It writhed, trying to sort its legs out. Pearl took advantage of the opening to circle around it, seeking out weak spots. 

“Go for the back of the neck!” Aqua called, sliding under the beast’s gaping jaws to smack it in the chest. “It’s got weak connections between its joints!”

As the beast threw its head back, jaws snapping at Aqua, Pearl leapt into the air, spinning tightly, and drove her spear into the base of the creature’s skull. It howled in pain but kept squirming.

Aquamarine planted her feet, enlarging her mace’s head until it was twice its normal size. She swung it into the beast’s chin with all of her might, sending it jerking back. The tip of Pearl’s spear appeared at the monster’s throat, poking out of the bottom. The beast shuddered, then was still. It exploded in a burst of air and light, leaving behind only its gem.

The three of them caught their breath as the room quieted, the only sound being the remaining puddles of acid eating into the floor. 

Garnet pressed a finger to the fallen gem and a red bubble formed around the stone. 

“Did you get what you needed?” Pearl asked, making her spear dissipate.

Garnet was silent but she stared at the bubbled gem with an unreadable expression on her face. Pearl slid in next to her, tucking a hesitant hand under Garnet’s arm. “Garnet?”

Aquamarine banished her mace with a flicker of her wrist and walked over to join the pair. “I don’t know what that was…” she began breathlessly. “But I demand access to continue studying it.”

“WHAT?” Pearl exclaimed, rounding on her. “You can’t be serious!”

“I’m completely serious!” Aqua countered, drawing level with Pearl and raising her chin slightly. “This Gem is fascinating! Given the circumstances of her arrival on Earth, we have to assume that she hails from another Gem-populated planet! Perhaps she can provide us with answers about our creation…” 

“This thing is dangerous!” Pearl interrupted her. “It nearly killed us!”

Aquamarine grinned “I know!” Her eyes shone with wonder. “Incredible, right? When do you guys think you’ll be ready to let it out for another go?”

“We’re not letting it out again.” 

Both Pearl and Aquamarine turned to Garnet, startled at the anger lacing her usually calm voice. “It’s staying in the Temple, somewhere only I know. No one is to ever let it out again. No exceptions.”

She tapped the top of the bubble and it vanished, flying through dimensions faster than the speed of light. Only she knew where it ended up.

***

Hokatu (Japanese) translations in this chapter:

Chīmu o tsukuritaidesu ka? – want to team up?  
Hai, watashi wa – yes, I would


	8. History Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh…hi. Remember me? So my job the past few months has been more demanding than I had thought and that made it difficult to update. I’m posting this because it is ready but chapter 9 is still a half-formed pipe dream so it may be a while yet. 
> 
> Also, I recognize that since my last post, some of the OCs in this fic have been made real characters on the show (i.e. Aquamarine, Agate, Topaz, etc.). I wish to make it clear that these characters that are now named in the show are not meant as reimaginings of those characters for this AU. They are intended as entirely different imaginings of the gems they are named for. 
> 
> Sorry for the delay! I really hope you enjoy this very long, very late chapter!

The news that Steven had healing powers sent the palace into an uproar. 

The prince claimed that healing Connie was an accident; that he’d taken her a drink as a gesture of “princely goodwill” and healed her eyes through the backwash of an unintentionally shared cup. Happy as he was about his apparent Vitreous manifesting, he was careful to downplay any relationship he had with Connie. Neither of them wanted their friendship to come out yet. Especially with all the newfound attention Steven was experiencing. 

Pearl was thrilled by the news and spent days dancing around the palace, singing cheerfully as she went about her tasks. To those who didn’t know Pearl as anything but the Commander, the change was jarring. Turquoise came back from delivering routine messages to Pearl’s office with a seemingly-permanent dumbfounded look on her face. The fact that Connie was back in tip-top shape after the encounter with the Gem beast also seemed to be pleasing to the Commander.

The other Guards were at turns both mystified and celebratory (beside Carnelian, whose feelings on the matter no one would even attempt to guess). Their mystification came from the fact that their Prince was actually beginning to develop the skills of his mythical mother (with just slight, very Steven changes). Celebratory feelings were due do the convenience his new powers afforded; now whenever a blade slipped or a human child was near death, exhausting trips to Rose’s healing fountain were no longer necessary. The result was a kind of punch-drunk recklessness that led to an increase in poofings among the Gem Trainees as sparring with the Guards increased. 

Garnet didn’t seem affected by any of it but Steven could tell she was happier than usual. He often caught her with a tiny smile on her face, nearly hidden in the shadow cast by her shades. She hadn’t said a word to him about his powers but he could feel her approval in her silence. 

“My Prince, please do pay attention.”

Steven blinked in confusion, his mind returning to the current task at hand: his magic lessons with the Palace Magician, Agate. 

“I…I was paying attention, Agate!” He insisted, eyes darting down to the table covered in several random household objects. 

“Of course you were my Prince.” Agate said, completely respectfully but lacking any kind of conviction. “Would my prince kindly review what these items are for me?”

“Uhhh…” Steven stared at the accumulation of things on the table. “…refresh my memory?” He sheepishly asked after a long silence. 

His teacher smiled and began her review. Agate was a Guard who was not easy to pin down. As the resident Palace Magician and a member of the Rose Quartz Guards, she had double duties. Most of her time was spent down in the city and nearby towns, responding to requests for Gem magic to resolve various issues. But whenever she had a rare afternoon or morning off, she devoted herself to teaching Prince Steven as much as she knew about Gem powers and all the advantages and challenges that came with them. 

Agate gestured to the table. “These are all objects I have collected from various missions over the years. They look normal, but they’ve all been enchanted.” She picked up a bone-carved spoon and held it flat on her palm. “This little thing stirs by itself. Unfortunately, it was an unsanctioned enchantment and I had to collect it.”

“Who enchanted it?” Steven asked. 

Agate shrugged. “Some Gem looking for trouble. Or a Gypsy.” She reached for another object, this one a strange little device shaped like a “y” with tiny glass bulbs at each end. 

“What’s that?”

The smallest corner of Agate’s mouth turned up at him. “It has a replication spell on it. It can create perfect copies of objects.”

Steven’s eyes widened. “Whoa!” He reached out his hand for it but the Gem pulled it out of his reach. 

“Oh no, my Prince. There will be no demonstrations with this item. The spell on it is unstable so if we make too many copies of something, it could overload. And the last thing we need is another catastrophic mess on our hands…” She placed the wand back down — out of Steven’s reach — and gave it a fond pat. 

Agate was often referred to as “Crazy Lace” Agate by the other Guards but Steven didn’t see why. She was always composed and polite, often nonchalant even in the face of immediate danger. She rivaled Garnet in her lack of expression. He supposed it came from her chosen form. Agate was small, barely taller than Amethyst, and slim. At first glance, her head look a little too big for her body but it was just because of its oblong shape and large round hair. She wore a corset-style breastplate and sturdy leather pants with shin guards woven in. But what was most striking about her was her colors. Her whole form was banded in strange patterns of creamy white and polished orange. In some places, she had bubbles of orange or spirals of off-white like someone had dripped oil into a pan of milk and swirled it. Her gem was a polished orange and white stone at the back of her head.

As if something had just occurred to her, Agate turned back to Steven. “Speaking of catastrophic messes…”

He blinked at her, confused. 

Agate took a seat opposite Steven at the table. “What do you know of relics, my Prince?” The Guard asked, folding her hands. 

“Uh, very little.” Steven admitted. He tried to copy her folded hands with little success. 

Agate tutted. “I’m not surprised. If Pearl had let me start your magic education sooner…well I supposed there’s no use dwelling on what ifs…” Agate brushed the confiscated enchanted objects aside carelessly, sending the spoon and a self-igniting lantern crashing to the floor. The replication wand shuddered and twitched as it bounced on the floor. “Simply put, my Prince,” she continued, paying no mind to the mess, “a relic is kind of like these enchanted objects. Only it has no enchanter.”

Steven’s eyes widened and he sat forward. “Really? Then how does it get its magical powers?”

The Gem’s eyes twinkled as she leaned towards him. “Some are simply created with magical materials or very powerful enchantments, but most come from a time before our recorded history.” She said, speaking in a conspiratorial whisper. “It is rumored that some of the relics are taken from the birthplace of Gemkind, wherever and whenever that was.”

“Wow!” Steven exclaimed. He peered at the objects on the floor. “What are they? What are the relics? Are there some here in the castle?” He made as if to dive for the wand but the Gem was ready for him.

Agate smirked as she deftly scooped him back into his chair. . “Oh quite a few, my Prince. In fact, you’ve already had an encounter with one.” 

Steven blinked in surprise. “I have?”

“The Desert Glass” Agate replied. “A formidable relic of undisclosed power that the Captain is in charge of protecting.”

“Really? What does it do?”

“I believe you experienced it, my Prince.” She leaned forward, turning over an hourglass lying on its side on the table. Sand slowly trickled upwards. “The Desert Glass is a pillow embedded with the powers of a Vitreous. It has command of all substrates and it can manipulate them to extreme measures. Why it chooses to build walls and fortifications, we have no idea.”

Steven watched the sand defy gravity but even that bit of magic could not distract him from the mystery of the Desert Glass. “Who made it?” He asked. 

Agate turned away from the hourglass. “Hmm?” She hummed, as if she had completely forgotten he was there.

“You said relics are made from magical materials.” Steven continued. “So who made the desert glass? And why does it have a stone in it?” 

Agate shrugged. “No one knows. It’s been in the palace for ages and yet no one has been able to track down the original owner.”

The prince pouted in disappointment. “Awww…doesn’t…shouldn’t we be trying to do that?”

The Gem shook her head. “No. Doesn’t really bother me.”

“No?”

“I’m not terribly concerned with the past, my prince.” Agate told him, waving her hand. “There’s far too much happening in the present and the foreseeable future to bother with vague creation theories…” She grabbed the hourglass, which had finished sending all its sand floating up into the upper chamber and tipped it on its side once more. “No, what bothers me is something a little more recent…namely, how exactly did that artifact get out of the Temple and into the courtyard?” She glanced at Steven out of the corner of her eye. “The Captain told me not to investigate but it is my job so…you see my dilemma.”

“uhhh…I thought it was Blue Topaz’s job to investigate magical mishaps…” Steven protested, squirming slightly. 

“What that Topaz doesn’t think of, I get the pleasure of doing.” Agate replied. “…a little too often if you ask me but that’s Blue for you.”

“uh huh…?” Steven leaned away from her, eyes darting to the door. 

“You see, only the Captain knows where that object is kept.” The Magician continued. “And only she is allowed to handle it. I’ve asked to study it multiple times but Captain Garnet always says it is too volatile for study…” She made steeples her fingers and peered at him over them. “So it is puzzling to me, Prince Steven, that you not only single-handedly found this object, but then also managed to carry it out of the Temple and into the courtyard; right past not only the Captain but the Commander as well.”

Steven felt a conspicuous droplet of sweat roll down his forehead. “Uhhh…well Lion was supposed to take me to the Pastry Shoppe but…uhhh, he, he took us…me, me! There instead…” He fidgeted with his fingers. “and he…uh stole the pillow.”

Agate seemed disappointed but her suspicion waned. “Your…lion.”

Steven nodded enthusiastically. “Yup. Lion found it and he seemed to like it.” Mind racing, he came up with the first escape route he could think of. “Oh, I think I hear Pearl calling me, I have to go. Bye!” 

Scrambling from his chair and dodging several of the scattered objects on the floor, Steven raced down the stairs of Agate’s tower, taking them two at a time. Behind him, he could hear the Magician chuckling to herself.

***

Connie swung the axe as hard as she could and the beam of wood split open violently. Two perfectly-sized chunks thumped onto the grass. 

She kicked the pieces away and plunked a new piece down, not even pausing to wipe her sweaty brow before swinging the axe again. This wasn’t a chore, it was just the kind of catharsis she needed right now. 

The heavy wedge slammed most of the way through the log and she forced it down the rest of the way with a grunt. Her palms burned with fresh blisters and several new bruises and cuts from training adorned her hands and face. Everything hurt and it was wonderful. But instead of lining up like the rest of Castle City was whenever they needed something healed, she was refusing to let Steven use his gift on her again. 

She didn’t deserve it.

Connie hefted a fresh hunk of wood, her eyes picking out flaws and imperfections in the wood that she could not have noticed last week. With that quick look alone, she knew exactly where to strike.

Getting her sight back had been a blessing, she really could not have been happier that Steven had happened to discover his healing abilities just in time to help her. Pearl had rejoiced, clearly glad that she no longer needed some way of justifying Connie’s continued training while they found ways around her loss of vision. She had resumed their training schedule, even doubling Connie’s sparring practice when she saw that her eyesight had actually improved from Steven’s healing.

But what nagged at her was that moment on the mountain when she had simply froze. It had been right there, her perfect chance to strike and…she had done nothing.

Connie split the wood before her with a grunt, her axe becoming wedged tightly in the stand she was using. Her rhythm interrupted, she paused, trying to catch her breath. Everything was spinning and sweat was dripping into her eyes. She leaned against the side of the woodshed, panting and closing her eyes. 

The Captain had such faith in her, enough to let her stay even after not just one but now two pitiful performances in battle. But Connie had no faith in herself.

When the time came, would she be able to do what she was meant for?

“Kon'nichiwa.”

Connie opened her eyes at the familiar voice. “Please leave me alone Amber.” She said flatly. She straightened up and yanked the axe free from the stump. 

“I’ve been looking for you…” Amber admitted as Connie placed another piece of wood down. “Citrine said she saw you come over here.”

Connie said nothing but merely swung her axe, splitting the new piece. A chip of wood flew past her face but her new improved vision gave her the foresight to dodge it.

“I…I like your scar.” Amber tried, moving into Connie’s peripheries as she leaned against the woodshed.

Connie remained silent. The faded scar that Steven’s healing powers had left her with was a jagged slice across her left eyelid as if she had just missed getting her eye gouged out by a sword. The area around her eye was pockmarked with tiny discolored indentations from where the misting acid had eaten away slightly at her skin. The scar wasn’t flattering but it wasn’t disfiguring either. In all honesty, she kind of liked it too.

“Thanks.” She said in a clipped voice.

“Connie please,” Amber said, sounding like she was begging now. “what did I do?”

Connie slammed the axe through a new piece of wood, nearly wedging it in the stump again. The force ripped it from her hands, leaving a wave of pain rushing over the tender skin on her palms. She took a deep breath before trying to answer. “You didn’t do anything Amber. I did. But you didn’t need to make it worse.”

“What?” Amber sounded puzzled. “What did I do?”

“You lied for me Amber.” She picked up the axe again. “If I am not cut out to be a warrior, it is best that I leave now.” She reached for another piece of wood.

“But…you saved me.” Amber said quietly. 

Connie rounded on her. “I. DID. NOTHING.” She said through clenched teeth.

If Amber was taken aback by her anger, she didn’t show it. “Connie…I was stuck.” She admitted. “I was overwhelmed. That…thing would have shattered me. But you got it off of me, long enough that I could fight back. And you set off the beacon, you called for Beryl to come to our rescue.”

“Then why did you tell the Captain that I fought valiantly?” Connie’s fist clenched, aggravating her raw blisters. “That I was courageous?”

“Because you were!” Amber insisted, her voice rising. “I owe you my life, Connie.”

Connie let out a bark of laughter. “What? Really? Is that what you think? If anything I owe you my life. You summoned your weapon, you fought it back.”

“Only because I saw how hard you were fighting!” Amber insisted. The small Gem deflated slightly, curling in on herself. “I…I didn’t even think I was capable of summoning a weapon.” She admitted. “I’ve never felt like it was something I could do. But when that thing came at me and I knew you were hurt, I just…reacted. And my sickle was suddenly in my hand. But I know that without you there, I would have been destroyed.”

They stared at each other, Connie beginning to feel sorry for her previous words but still too ashamed to apologize. 

“So…” Amber finally continued. “I came to find you because…I wanted to say…thank you.”

“Trainees!” 

They both stiffened at the harsh bark, reflexively standing at attention. 

Guard Blue Topaz marched up to them, eyeing the pair of them suspiciously. “Enough bickering, curfew is in a few minutes.” She informed them, “…and Trainee Connie, who instructed you to split wood?”

“No one, Guard Blue.” Connie replied, clenching her aching hand behind her back. “I just thought it might need doing.”

Blue narrowed her eyes at her, the blue streak across her nose thinning at the action. 

“Run along Trainee Amber.” Blue instructed, waving Amber off. “I need to have a word with Trainee Connie…”

Amber hastily saluted and shot Connie a look but Connie did not respond. The brown Gem jogged away. Connie picked up her axe and resumed chopping wood. She was acutely aware of the Guard watching her, probably sneering as Blue often did. 

She continued her self-inflicted chore for several more silent minutes, acutely aware of Blue Topaz’s eyes on her. 

“Was there something you needed from me, Guard Blue?” Connie finally asked, unable to take this scrutiny any longer. 

She heard Blue Topaz sigh. “You can stop you know.” The Guard offered, for once not sounding malicious but merely annoyed. 

“No thank you.” Connie replied stiffly, hefting the axe again.

Blue Topaz caught the axe mid-swing, easily wresting it from Connie’s exhausted grip. 

“That’s enough, Trainee.” She commanded, tossing the axe aside carelessly. 

Connie folded her arms, feeling petulant but lacking any other action to keep her attention away from the Gem. She and Blue Topaz had never gotten along. Much like Tourmaline, Blue didn’t seem to like Connie on principle. Her near constant sneering and torment from day one had proven that time and again.

But Blue didn’t seem to be mocking her this time. She was staring down at Connie with a hardened expression but not with contempt in her eyes. It seemed as if she wanted to say something but was trying to pick the perfect words for her sentiment. “It doesn’t do you any good to punish yourself.” She finally said.

Connie glanced up in surprise. “What?”

Blue gestured at the hulking pile of wood Connie’s frustrations had produced. “That is what you’re doing. You think that if only you can chop all this wood, then you might be something more than just a coward who cant handle a real battle.”

Connie clenched her jaw until it hurt, determined not to cry. Nothing Blue said would be worse than what was already in her head…

“But I get it. It’s a terrible feeling.”

Her jaw unclenched. “Huh?”

The large Gem was staring at the splinters scattered about the woodpile, ignoring Connie completely. 

Connie winced as she tried to close her fists. Now that she had stopped her chopping, the true nature of the pain was making itself known. 

Blue Topaz shook herself from her thoughts, glancing at Connie’s blistered hands. “Everyone freezes, human.” She told her. “It’s what you do after that matters.” Blue walked over to the axe and picked it up. “Based on what Trainee Amber says, you reacted when it was most important.” She expertly threw the axe so that it landed neatly wedged in the stand, its handle pointed towards Connie. The Gem’s gaze was hard but lacked a sneer. “But don’t keep punishing yourself. That just makes it worse.”

The burly Guard walked away, leaving Connie alone with her blisters and her thoughts. She did not reach for the axe again.

***

Garnet was agitated. 

It was not a state of mind she was used to. Her existence relied heavily on having peace of mind, on always being in balance as she gazed into the past and the future simultaneously. But the arrival of this…thing. This corrupted Gem that fell from the sky was unsettling and it upset that fragile state that made her whole. 

“…and the festival delegates from Mountain City should be arriving in two months. Lady Fluorite estimates they will bring about a dozen Gems and two brigades of humans…” Jade read from her data logger. “Carnelian is already planning the lodging arrangements for the festivities…”

The red Gem bowed her head, smiling. 

“…as well as the weapons and supplies for the games…” Jade concluded, tucking her data logger under her arm. 

Garnet was staring out of the window, her arms folded tightly, barely listening. 

“Good, that all seems set then.” Pearl acknowledged the two with grateful nods. “We will reconvene about this in a few weeks to discuss the meals and human festivities.”

Jade and Carnelian nodded, saluting. But neither of them made the move to leave Pearl’s office. Pearl made a few notes on her screen before she realized they had not left. 

“Was there something else?”

Jade extended a hand to the hulking Gem beside her. “Well, Guard Carnelian and I were wondering if you were going to tell us about the corrupted Gem.”

Garnet’s head whipped around so fast it was a miracle her shades stayed in place. Pearl was equally startled. “Who…?” Her gaze darkened. “Aqua…” Of course the Gem had blabbed. She could never keep quiet about a new discovery. Garnet’s eyes narrowed. Who else had she told?

“What has been done with it?” Jade asked. “and when will Aquamarine and myself be permitted to study it?”

Garnet and Pearl exchanged a loaded look. “No one is going to be studying it.” Pearl insisted, turning back to her screen in an effort to deter them. 

Jade would not be ignored. She gestured to her companion and Carnelian lifted her up, placing her on Pearl’s desk so she could look the Commander in the eye. “You have not even asked me to search the records for anything like it.” Jade accused Pearl, who was now sporting a fine blue blush even while studiously ignoring the scholar. “This will not remain quiet, Commander. The other Guards are asking questions.”

Pearl glanced at Garnet for help but the Captain offered nothing, only tightened her posture. 

“So am I to assume that you already scoured the library for information?” Pearl asked tersely. 

“Of course.” Jade looked smug. “I no longer had a project to work on as the Prince’s convenient Vitreous manifestation negated the need for me to build Trainee Connie vision enhancers. So I may have done some research, yes.”

Garnet stepped forward, leaning over the desk to stare intently at Jade. “You found something.” She growled, not trying very hard to keep herself from sounding menacing. 

Jade deflated slightly. “…well…no.” She straightened her robe. “It turns out, there are no records in our library on any phenomena like this. I’ve sent out a request to Mountain City and the Hokatu University for additional materials on Gem physiology and historical accounts of odd Vitreous powers but I don’t expect much. If we don’t have it, I doubt they will.”

“You had no right to do that.” Garnet’s voice dropped lower. “No one is going to touch that thing again.”

Jade met her gaze levelly, despite being a third Garnet’s size. “With all due respect Captain, I did my job. We faced a threat we did not understand so I tried to provide information. I regret to inform you that I failed.”

The two stared at each other icily for a few moments until Carnelian placed a restraining hand on Jade’s shoulder. With a terse nod, the scholar backed down. 

Pearl breathed a quiet sigh as the moment broke. 

“Was there something else?” Pearl asked as Garnet straightened up and turned back to the window. 

Carnelian glanced at Jade, raising an eyebrow in silent question. The small scholar cleared her throat, suddenly unsure. “Yes, well it’s probably nothing but I thought you’d like to know…”

Garnet looked around, already guessing what the scholar was going to say. 

“Prince Steven has been borrowing quite a lot of books from our Hokatu collections of late…” Jade told them, “…which is puzzling since I know for a fact he does not know a word of Hokatu…”

“What does that have to do with this strange Gem that fell from the sky?” Pearl asked. 

Jade shrugged. “My guess is nothing, I was merely making an observation. Perhaps our Prince is after a mystery of his own.”

Pearl furrowed her brow in thought. “Perhaps…”

Garnet said nothing. She turned back to the window, pointedly ignoring the others. 

“Well, we will be off then.” Jade held out her arms and Carnelian gently picked her up and placed her on the floor. “Shall I continue to monitor the prince?” Jade asked.

“Yes.” Pearl waved her hand, clearly wanting them gone. “let me know if he looks at anything regarding his mother too.”

Jade bowed. “As you wish, Commander.” With a final glare towards Garnet, she turned on her heel and left the office, Carnelian following her. 

When the door closed behind them, Pearl turned back to Garnet.

“Garnet?” She asked. “Are you alright?”

The bigger Gem was trembling. “I’m fine Pearl.” She insisted.

“Are you sure? You seem…tense.”

“I said I’m fine!”

Pearl flinched at her comrade’s sharp tone. “I…I know you’re worried about the corrupted Gem…” She paused for a long while, the blips of words flying across her screen filling the silence. “Could it be…them?” Her own voice shook, betraying the worry that kept her from putting the incident behind them.

Garnet glared out of the window, where the sky was filling with clouds. “They got lucky last time.” She finally said. “They don’t know we’re here, Pearl. No one does.”

Pearl jumped out of her chair, too tightly wound to keep quiet. “But the circumstances are just too similar to ignore! When Amethyst arrived…”

Garnet cut her off forcefully. “Amethyst was a fluke. Her ending up here was pure chance. So was this.” A beam of sunlight crossed her shades, momentarily making her eyes visible. She tried to steady her voice, attempting to be reassuring. “They don’t know we’re here Pearl. They will pass over us.”

Pearl still wasn’t convinced. This was all just too much speculation with too much potential for despair. “But…what about the other meteorite? The one from a month ago? If they are becoming more frequent, we have to assume that…” 

“I told you, that one was nothing we needed to be concerned about.” Garnet replied, her voice gaining a hint of a threatening edge. “It will come of use in due time.”

Pearl joined Garnet at the window. After a moment’s hesitation, she placed a gentle hand on her friend’s elbow. Garnet did not shrug her off so she remained. “What did you see in that first meteorite?” Pearl asked softly. 

Garnet stared out over the cloudy horizon, where the sun still cut through the dreary grey of the clouds, painting the skies red and orange. 

“Hope.”

***

The next day, Connie met Steven in the sky arena during her free afternoon. They were originally going to meet in the library for more research but abandoned that idea when Steven reported that Jade was giving him a look that seemed “more suspicious than usual.”

So instead, they were just working on their own projects. Steven was staring at reproductions of a bunch of old tapestries that his dad had managed to smuggle out of the library for him, his brow furrowed as he carefully examined the pictures for hints of the figure in the mural. 

Unable to sit still and sick of translating old Hokatu texts, Connie was practicing her forms with the large pink sword from Lion’s mane. The big cat was curled up across the arena, snoring without a care. Connie swung the sword, proud to notice that after her few weeks of practice, it was significantly easier to lift. Practicing with such a large weapon was giving her hope that her technique with the lighter Guard-issued blades would be superb.

“Do you think that sword is magic?”

Connie paused, the blade extended in a jab. “It came out of Lion’s mane Steven. I’d be surprised if it wasn’t magic.” She pulled it back and raised it in a block, setting her feet so she could not be knocked over. Both of her hands were bandaged tightly, helping her avoid the sting of handling the weapon. Steven had asked no questions about her multitude of blisters and had respected her wishes not to be healed. But he had insisted on bandaging her properly.

“No, I mean…do you think it’s important somehow?” Steven asked, kicking his feet. “Agate was giving me a lesson the other day about relics. She said that the pillow was an ancient relic with great power. And since that sword was able to face down the pillow and defeat that robot, it’s probably got more than just a typical enchantment placed on it.”

Connie moved into a new set of sword forms, the blade whistling as she deftly moved it through the air. She knew a little about relics from the scriptures. Queen Rose had been said to possess several but they were not named in any of the translations. She finished up her combo of jabs and parries before answering. “It could be a relic. But why would Lion have it?”

They both glanced at the cat, who was pawing the air rhythmically while caught deep in a dream. 

“Maybe it was mom’s?” Steven suggested. “It does match her color scheme.”

Connie shrugged. “So does Lion. Did Queen Rose have a lion?”

“I don’t think so…” Steven chuckled. “you should have seen Pearl’s face when I asked if I could keep him!” 

Connie chuckled as well, trying to imagine the Commander’s reaction. She moved through several more forms and attacks, sweat gathering on her brow as she exerted herself. 

“I’ve been thinking...” She began, once she had finished her forms. 

Steven looked up from where he’d been flicking pebbles across the floor. “About what?”

“The gem on the mountain.” Connie lowered the sword, the point resting on the ground. “Steven…the monster gem that attacked me and Amber came down in a meteorite.” This had been gnawing at her for days, the thought that all this was for nothing. “What if…What if what we saw that night was just another monster? Just another bad Gem?”

Steven sat up. “Then we have to find her!” He declared, as if it were obvious. “She’s probably lost and scared…all alone on a strange planet. She needs a guide to help her out!”

Inwardly, Connie sighed. Leave it to the prince to see the chivalrous side of this mission. “Steven…I don’t know if we should chase these things down…” Connie reasoned, “I mean, it took Amber and Beryl to destabilize the last one.”

“And you!” Steven reminded her. “You were there too!”

The blisters on her hands ached. Connie grimaced but did not acknowledge that fact. “I’m just saying, the two of us might not be enough to take down another Gem monster. Assuming we even find it.”

Steven scratched his chin, thinking. “What if we get some of the Gems to help us? If we find another one?”

Connie looked round at him. “You think some of them would?”

Steven nodded. “Yeah, I’ll bet I can sell it to Aqua as another field mission. And Amethyst will love to help, she was upset she didn’t get a crack at the centipeedle.”

“Yeah…” Connie shuddered, “Aqua would definitely be helpful if we ever had to fight another one of those.” She hesitated for a moment then spoke again, “Beryl and…Blue Topaz may also be willing to help.”

Steven looked surprised. “Really?” 

“Beryl seems to have taken a liking to me. And Blue Topaz…” Connie shrugged, “…isn’t as bad as I thought.” The blue Gem had certainly surprised her with her wisdom to help her overcome her own insecurities. “We’ll just have to wait and see if another meteor shows up…”

Steven stood, rolling up the tapestry prints he had been studying. “Well, it’s nearly evening. You ready?”

Connie nodded. “Just give me a second.” She approached Lion, kneeling next to him. The cat didn’t even stir as she returned the sword to his mane. 

She stood and reached for her friend’s hand. “Let’s go find Hajime.”

***

The market of Castle City was winding down for the day as it was nearing the time of the evening meal. Out-of-town venders were locking down their wares for the night and retreating to their hotels or leaving to return to their homesteads. Connie and Steven had decided that this would be the best time to seek out Greg’s old friend, as he would not be busy with customers but would not have left for the evening yet. It was also the time in which both Pearl and Garnet would be busy with a meeting so there was less chance of them being seen together.

They warped into the downtown pad, Connie managing to land squarely on her feet this time as Steven held her hand tightly the whole way. 

“Okay!” Steven said, all business now that they were on their way. “My dad said his shop was right on the edge of the entertainment district on the same street as the Light Goddess Shrine.”

Connie nodded, figuring out the route in her head. “This way.” She led him down the streets, ducking past the vendors heading in the opposite direction and sneaking in among a group of Luminoses who were decked out in ceremonial garb and heading for the shrine. 

As they passed the light-collecting structure, they paused to marvel at the swell of people gathering under its eaves. Nearly two hundred of the faithful were flocking to the shrine, all in their best traditional garb. The gathering was chanting proudly and melodically, with no clear leader among them. The light from their candles and the swell of their chanting seemed to make the shrine glow dimly, illuminating the street as the sun faded. 

Steven seemed captivated. He tugged on Connie’s hand. “What are they doing?”

“The Fast of the Goddess.” Connie explained to Steven. “It’s a ritual to acknowledge the legend of the decade that the Light Goddess spent in fast and meditation. They will gather here every night for the next 10 days and eat no meals after sunset.”

She tugged him further down the street, now fighting the tide of worshipers heading towards the shrine. As they wove through the crowd, Connie tried to observe as many of the fasters as she could. Connie had always had a particular affinity for this ritual and the event was stirring a deep nostalgia within her. If she had been home in her village right now, she’d be lighting candles for the Luminoses making the journey to the shrine just outside her village. It was a sign of respect among her people to guide and support the celebrations and rituals of other religions, particularly the Luminoses. The religion was well-respected, even by those who did not practice it. She recalled many nights during this festival where she would go down to the town center with her parents and place candles in the great tree so it shone as a beacon for the travelers. Her fellow villagers often brought buckets of water and small metal cups with them so they could offer the dusty travelers a drink. 

Connie felt a pull in her heart towards the worshipers. She resolved to find a candle and light it for these observers. But it would have to wait until their return. They had another destination tonight. 

Steven called out directions his father had given him as they went, running down the long street away from the Light Goddess Shrine until they reached the edge of the entertainment district. The light from the shrine was barely visible down this far.

“Right….here!” Steven suddenly called. He pulled Connie to a halt, apologizing profusely when he realized he’d aggravated her injuries. 

They were standing in front of a large permanent tent connected to a storefront. It looked ill-kept but not run-down, as if the owner simply had other things on their mind than general repairs and maintenance. Several of the poles were sagging under the weight of the canvas and a smell of must dominated the space. An impeccably-painted sign hung on the door to the shop proper reading: “Translations! Ancient texts! Cheapest Price in the Kingdom.” in no less than 7 different languages. Connie recognized Hokatu characters, the written form of her own tongue (Keralaese), Common, and even the Holy Luminoses language Eurbaa , which only the priestesses of the religion and select scholars were permitted to know. The remaining languages were unknown to her. 

Exchanging a glance, she and Steven entered the shop.

The interior was absolutely stuffed full of books and texts of all kinds: heavy tomes, pamphlets, scrolls, bamboo sheets and even a stone tablet or two. A desk, several chairs and a long table squished into the center of the room, looking distinctly uncomfortable in their arrangement. 

Dancing easily among all of this was a small Hokatu man. He was rail-thin and not much taller than Connie with thick dark hair that was beginning to recede from his forehead. At the sound of the bell over the door, the man looked up, his eyes magnified into huge proportions by the vision enhancers he wore perched firmly on his nose. 

“Ah!” he sounded both surprised and delighted to see them. “What an honor! Please, come in!” He hastily moved a pile of books from a chair so that they could fit inside the space. As Connie and Steven squeezed into the new area, he moved between a haphazardly-piled tower of books and a set of bamboo sheaves balanced on an old copy-writing machine. 

“Lord Gregory said you might be coming!” The man continued as he set his armload of books down on the table, which looked about to bend under the weight of what was laid upon it. Connie and Steven ended up sharing the chair, their bodies pressed closely together and Connie’s arm around Steven’s shoulders to avoid toppling over the piles of texts alongside the seat.

The scholar paid the furniture no mind and bowed at the waist to them. “My name is Murakame Hajime.” He introduced himself, using the traditional Tribe Name-Given Name method his people favored. He had a thick Hotaku accent but his Common was impeccable. He had clearly studied in the Hokatu Universities. “It is a pleasure to serve at the will of you both, Prince Steven and honored Trainee Connie.”

Connie was surprised at how respectful he was being. Technically, the Hokatu people were not subjects of the Rose Kingdom. They were an independent society that lived by their own codes and rules, like the Luminoses peoples. The Hokatu tribes lived in the Northwestern mountains and plains of the planet, not too far from Connie’s homeland. While generally a peaceful mercantile people, the Hokatu also produced truly fearsome warriors and scholars that, while not Gems, could often match a Gem in battle (be it physical or intellectual) for an extended period. Hajime bore the air of someone who knew very much but also knew just when to apply it.

“Thank you for seeing us,” Connie replied, wriggling out of the chair so she could bow back properly, “it is an honor to meet an esteemed scholar of the Manabu Universities.”

Hajime beamed at her. “Clever girl,” he complimented. He pushed his glasses back up his nose so they sat in front of his eyes. “But my university days are over I’m afraid. These days I am merely a translator and peddler of some rare scriptures and books. I do write occasionally but the university is…” he pause, searching for the right word, “hesitant to publish me.”

“Why is that?” Connie asked, squeezing back into the chair and nearly elbowing Steven in the gem.

“I deal with some…controversial theories.” The scholar admitted. “Stories that come from scriptures written in long-dead languages and translated unconfidently.”

“What kind of stories?”

“Creation stories mostly.” Hajime told her. “Theories of Queen Rose’s arrival and the habitation of this world.” Connie was intrigued. Even the palace library didn’t have such rare things. Hajime’s eyes sparkled as he thought of the stories but then he seemed to remember them and waved the thought away. “So, what can I help you and the prince with today?”

“Well,” Connie began, shifting slightly to try to give Steven more room. “We’re looking for some information, specifically about a strange meteorite we saw and an odd mural inside the palace temple. The Castle library has not been of much help.”

“Really?” The scholar rubbed his chin, leaving a faint mark of ink behind. “I’m afraid I wont be much help with celestial bodies, that was not my chosen subject. But I may be able to help with some interpretation of the mural.”

“That’s what my dad said!” Steven exclaimed.

Hajime smiled. “Lord Gregory flatters me. What does this mural look like?” He inquired, turning to Connie. 

Steven and Connie took turns describing it, Connie taking care to emphasize the figure that they had seen when they had shined their light on the stones. Hajime was silent through their whole description but his eyes lit up with intrigue and curiosity every so often. 

“Our question for you is this,” Steven picked up a scroll laying on the table, examining the beautiful looping Eurbaa characters on it with great care, “have you ever heard of anything called the…” he screwed up his face, trying his very best to pronounce the word correctly “Mit-su-kag-e?” He looked to Connie for approval and she nodded. 

Hajime’s face perked up instantly. “Ah! I did not know you were interested in the creation theories of my people, young prince!”

Connie and Steven exchanged a look. “Creation theories?” Steven asked.

Hajime was tapping his chin in thought, leaving yet more streaks of ink behind. Finally, he seemed to think of what it was he needed. “As I’m sure you know, the details of how humanity and Gemkind came to share this planet are unknown.” Hajime paced through his tent as he spoke, running his fingers over his rows of scrolls, seeking his desired one out by feel. “That is why I dedicated my professional career to the ancient scriptures detailing the early days of the Rose Kingdom and the inhabitation of this planet.”

His finger stuck on a particular scroll and he wriggled it out of its spot with infinite care, avoiding touching it with his ink-stained fingers. “Simply put, the Mitsukage is a central theme in many of my culture’s genesis stories. It even forms the foundation for a few of them.”

“So what exactly is it?” Connie asked.

He laid the scroll on the table in front of them, keeping it closed. 

“The Mitsukage is…hard to describe outside of the Parables of Creation told by my people.” Hajime explained. “There is no perfect translation of the word from Hokatu to Common. It’s…more like a concept in your language.”

“What concept?” Steven asked, leaning forward to examine the ancient papyrus scroll.

Hajime’s eyes shone. The pitch of his voice dropped and his accent became heavier. “The idea of the darkness living within the light…the idea that all that is good can simultaneously encompass all that is bad…that there is a constant cycle between darkness and light that drives survival and creation.”

His explanation made it sound more like a religious concept than a mythical one to Connie but she was curious nonetheless.

“How does that work?”

In answer, the scholar opened the scroll upon the table. Connie was greeted by a long line of Hokatu characters that she was able to translate into the phrase: “Mitsukage Cycle”. The rest of the scoll was dominated by a large rendering of a circular image that wove upon itself: one side was white and blazed with light, even with the dulled quality of the scroll. The other side was dark and seemed to be trying to swallow everything around it. The two bled into each other, consuming each other end to end so that they made no progress. Staring at it so intently, Connie swore it was slowly turning. 

“In a physical sense,” Hajime continued, “it’s a…what is the Common word…? A _gyakusetsu_ , a paradox. Something that both is and isn’t.”

Connie contemplated this, trying to think if her native tongue had a similar word or concept. “So…in theory, this is something that is both visible and invisible at the same time?”

Hajime nodded. “That’s the basic idea, yes. It is something that is simultaneously itself and its polar opposite so it can appear to be nothing. It is a rare phenomena, usually associated with the Mystic Beings of Great Power. Those who do not share man’s discrepancy for good versus evil but rather see existence in the span of millennia and plurals to every action and outcome. They exist only as themselves and mankind and Gemkind only exist as a side-effect of their actions. The only examples I know of are those in our old cultural stories. But some scriptures at the University are translated to use it in reference to the Light Goddess.”

He returned to the shelf, leaving Connie and Steven alone with the scroll. Steven leaned even closer to the papyrus, his nose almost touching the circle in an effort to see it better. Connie pulled him back and it seemed to break him of whatever trance the drawing had put upon him. 

Hajime seemed confused by his search. “oh darn, I must have left my rendering of the Beings at the university…” He turned back to them, seeming genuinely dejected. “I wish I could have shown you the sacred rendering, it is truly something to behold…”

“That’s alright.” Steven comforted him. “Can you tell us some of the stories of the Mitsukage? Or the Beings?” 

Hajime shook his head. “Unfortunately no. I deal more in the translation sections than the actual story-telling. The stories of my people are complex and detailed, needing a practiced bard for proper recitation. For me to attempt to tell you a story of the Mitsukage would be akin to you speaking the lyrics to your favorite song and forgoing the music altogether.”

Connie nodded in understanding. “I see.”

“We cant do that!” Steven agreed. 

“What about the mural?” Connie asked. “Does it resemble any of the stories?”

Hajime shook his head. “As far as I know, I have never seen a record of that particular mural. And it doesn’t remind me of any particular story that I have come across. But given that it was in the Gem Temple, I doubt it is common knowledge to any human people.” He resumed rubbing his chin, but it appeared the ink on his fingers had finally dried as no new streaks were left behind. “My brother Haruki could help...” Hajime continued, “he’s a story peddler in the entertainment district. His occupation is verbalizing and adding music to what I merely speculate and statically change into new languages.”

Steven beamed. “Great! Where can we find him?”

Hajime grimaced apologetically. “Well, unfortunately since he is a story peddler, he’s only in town a few times a year. He’s currently somewhere up North, seeking out new audiences for the Hokatu Parables.” 

Connie’s heart sank. “When will he be back?”

“Probably a month or so.” Hajime told them. “But he’s unpredictable; he may stay away until next year if he keeps finding audiences. I can send you a message the moment he arrives.” He offered. 

Connie and Steven glanced at each other again, silently communicating that they would just have to live with this predicament for now. “That would be most appreciated Hajime,” Connie said, she wriggled free of the chair again and bowed, palms together. “…thank you.”

“Nani mo kangaenai” Hajime replied, smiling and bowing to them both. “You two are always welcome to visit. Scholars get lonely you know…”

Steven stood and bowed as well. “We will.” He promised. “thank you for your help, Hajime.”

The two of them made to leave, trying to pick a path out of the mountains of scrolls and books back to the door. 

“And Trainee Connie,” Hajime called. They paused, just about to reach the door to the outside.

“I would very much like to discuss the philosophies of your people, the Maheswarens whenever you have the time.” The scholar continued, looking a little bashful. “I have always found your culture fascinating.”

Connie’s face split into a wide grin. “I would love to Hajime!”

He smiled and waved farewell. “Come by anytime!” 

The two of them bowed respectfully to the scholar again and left him to his studies. The sun was setting outside of Hajime’s tent. The other stalls were closed up for the night, rolling down covers and casting their sanctioned enchantments around the wares they could not store for the night. A few Luminoses were still making their way down towards the Shrine, where a thick knot of worshippers had formed to begin their fast. 

“Okay,” Connie recapped. “So it looks like the Mitsukage is more of a concept than a physical being…”

Steven held his chin thoughtfully. “Still doesn’t explain why it was in the mural though…”

“Maybe it was more of a metaphor about Rose’s power…” Connie agreed. “Some kind of symbolism about her establishment of the Rose Quartz Kingdom…”

Steven looked thoughtful but he offered no other suggestions.

“Well,” Connie continued, “until Haruki comes to town, I guess we’ll just have to stick to what we were doing.” 

Steven nodded in agreement. “Finding the meteorite!” He proclaimed. 

“But…” Connie realized, thinking back to their conversation in the sky arena. “We may have to cut back on the library research…I think Jade is getting suspicious.”

“And we cant go snooping around the Temple again…” Steven added, “Agate was asking me a lot of questions about the pillow.”

The two of them stood quietly in the street, trying to plan their next move as the sun set and lamps began to flicker to life. 

“Should we try to trace its path from the clearing?” Steven suggested. 

Connie shook her head. “That may not work so well…it’s been a long time since it came down.” 

“That’s okay, I have another idea!” Steven told her. His face had lit up like it always did before he had one of his incredible insights. “I’m sure it could help us.”

“What is it?” Connie asked, feeling a little apprehensive.

Steven was practically bouncing with excitement. “I’d have to show you!” He insisted. “Come on, it’s in the palace!” He turned on his heel, ready to dash off on their new mission.

Connie tugged Steven back as he made to run off. “Wait,” she implored him. “There’s something I want to do first.”

Picking up on her seriousness, Steven relaxed and let her lead the way. They left the entertainment district and made their way back down the road they had come from, not holding hands this time but sticking close to each other the whole way. 

They passed a small stand that was still in the process of closing. Using two coppers, Connie purchased a small white candle from the shopkeeper and coaxed him to light it with a small flicker of magic. Cupping the light gently in her hands, she led Steven back to the Shrine. 

Several late-comers were still making their way towards the festival, where a new chant was starting. Moving to the edge of the throng, Connie searched for a place to stand. She and Steven edged their way among the crowd until they reached an open alley that overlooked the street. They paused and looked over the milling crowd, their tiny candle flickering in the night air, adding a drop of light to the sea of brightness spilling from the shrine. 

A young pilgrim glanced their way, her head covered with the traditional hijab garment. When she saw their candle, she pressed her palms together and smiled at them gratefully. Connie smiled back and inclined her head. A traditional prayer of her people came to mind, one she often recited at this festival back home.

Holding out the candle, she spoke her prayer aloud: 

“kāṟṟuṁ, niṅṅaḷe mikavuṟṟa niṅṅaḷuṭe daivaṅṅaḷe niṅṅaḷuṭe ārādhana mēl puñciri oppaṁ niṅṅaḷ maṟaṟu”

The pilgrim’s smile widened at the prayer and she moved on to join her kinsfolk. Steven watched Connie with rapt attention. She knew that he loved to listen to her talk in the unique, beautiful language she was born into. 

As the last of the stragglers joined the growing chant, Connie placed the still-lit candle down on the street and took Steven’s hand again. 

The two of them slipped down the alley back toward the palace. 

***

Translations in this chapter:  
Hokatu:  
Kon'nichiwa - Hello

Nani mo kangaenai – Think nothing of it

 

Keralaese:

kāṟṟuṁ, niṅṅaḷe mikavuṟṟa niṅṅaḷuṭe daivaṅṅaḷe niṅṅaḷuṭe ārādhana mēl puñciri oppaṁ niṅṅaḷ maṟaṟu - May the winds guide you, may your gods smile upon your worship and grant you peace.


End file.
